The Outcasts of Eden

The Outcasts of Eden has an interesting structure, navigating between the past and the present, but the flashbacks are highly necessary. When the novel begins, the flashbacks are the only source you have to see Roberta’s father, who is deceased. Through the present, Roberta describes how devious her father was, but flashbacks show him in a more sympathetic light and show him as more human, exploring why he made the choices he did. The previous chapters foreshadow moments in the present and allow insight to how everything came to be this way.

Presson successfully blends formatting with a mix of flashbacks, articles, a computer conversation, and a variety of perspectives. The characters are finely polished and layered, each serving a larger purpose, providing a variety of views on the environment. Each of the characters is a very specific type: bold, successful, and idealistic. Presson includes a group of activists called “the outcasts of Eden,” who touch up the essence of the novel as Presson uses them to express the need to change and how to save the world: “the revolution in human thinking, in attitude, in commerce, and the stewardship of the planet.”

Roberta is a flawed protagonist, an environmentalist in charge of a corporation that has shady dealings that are harmful to the environment. She’s the perfect driving force for the novel, as she takes the company left for her and strives to use it to do actual good for the world. Balancing out her strong-willed views, Evan is the archetype of the All-American boy, who is the most grounded of the characters. Evan and Roberta had a dream for their lives until everything knocked them off course, but by the end, they find a new beginning.

The prose is strong and passionate, with concise details about the environment and how every side works. Though the interludes seem disconnected, on a closer inspection, the inclusion of Tenzin is his connection to the environment. He’s very at one with nature, connected to it spiritually. Every side to the issue is provided, perfectly crafting Roberta to be in the middle, though it is clear whose side Presson is against. It leaves you thinking and sparks the need to do something. Focusing specifically on the oil companies and a tanker that spills in the ocean, The Outcasts of Eden highlights the importance of preserving the environment.