Synopsis: Miles and Sophie’s married life gets turned upside down we he is accused of sexually assaulting a pupil at the school where he has been a teacher for many years. Faced with uncertainty, Miles and Sophie must leave their home on the school grounds, and with it, the comfortable life that they have grown accustomed to.
The allegation Miles faces begins to take its toll on his marriage as Sophie starts to question whether he is capable of such actions. As Miles’ trial gets closer, the suspicion surrounding his innocent grows and Sophie has to ask herself whether he is the person that she thought he was.
Review: It is rare that I get so hooked in to reading a novel with such subtlety. However, it is the nuance with which Pepper details the effects of Miles’ sexual assault allegation that is one of the things that makes this story so compelling. The subject matter is handled with great sensitivity, resulting in a story that feels highly realistic.
I loved that much of the story was told from Miles’ point of view, as we come to question whether his version of the truth can be believed, just as Sophie does as the novel progresses. The question of Miles’ innocence is skilfully weaved throughout plot without feeling forced. The ‘did he or didn’t he?’ question is always there is the back of your mind, just as it is always there in the character’s actions, causing me to change my opinion of Miles on more than one occasion.
Whilst the ending frustrated me (I hate not knowing what happens), I did like that there wasn’t a forced, neat ending because life does not have a simple fix to complicated problems and this is something that is clear throughout the book.
Recommend: A bit different to the books I usually review but definitely one worth reading.
Pages of Eden 