The Language of Paradise

In an earlier story collection, Little Edens, Moss explored humans’ pale imitations of paradise in their all-too-flawed lives. In her debut novel, she further delves into utopian ideals. Set in 1830s New England, Sophy, the free-spirited adopted daughter of a minister, begins a relationship with Gideon, who is studying theology and Hebrew with Sophy’s father. But even (or especially) after their marriage, Gideon discovers that their daily realities fail to capture the Edenic rapture of their initial encounter, when he spotted Sophy dancing in a meadow. Gideon’s real passion is reserved for his studies, particularly his quest for the original language uttered by Adam in the Garden of Eden. When Sophy becomes pregnant, Gideon, aided by the town’s beguiling and shrewd new schoolmaster, hatches a plan to use the child to discover the language of paradise. The novel’s world never collapses under the weight of the substantial research that informs it; it is vibrant and, especially in the second half, engrossing. Throughout, Moss’s language is precise and controlled, effectively describing the inner lives of Gideon and, in particular, Sophy, whose initial childlike innocence makes way for something much stronger and harder earned. (Apr.)