Brides of Eden: A True Story Imagined

When Joshua Creffield arrives in the sleepy town of Corvallis, Oregon, in the early part of 1903, Eva Mae Hurt knows that nothing will ever be the same again. He's the most charismatic preacher the town has ever heard, and soon Eva Mae and all the young women are going to his fiery revival meetings. At Joshua's insistence, they even burn their worldly possessions and follow him to a remote island to devote themselves to his teachings. But when Joshua starts talking about which of his "brides of Eden" will be the Second Mother of Christ, events take a frightening turn. Before it's all over, families will be torn apart, daughters will be locked up, and several people will lose their lives.Based on a true story, this riveting and chilling novel depicts the excitement and terror of belonging to a group in which individuality is subsumed. It convincingly shows how the power of a single charismatic voice, heard at a vulnerable time, can turn the most ordinary, rational person into a cult follower.