Pride of Eden: A Novel

Retired racehorse jockey and Vietnam veteran Anse Caulfield rescues exotic big cats, elephants, and other creatures for Little Eden, a wildlife sanctuary near abandoned ruins on the Georgia coast. When his prized lion escapes, Anse becomes obsessed with replacing her through increasingly questionable means. Anse works alongside Malaya, a former soldier who hunted poachers in Africa; Lope, trained in falconry and surveillance drone piloting; and Tyler, a veterinarian. Together they confront an underworld of smugglers, gamblers, breeders, and trophy hunters who exploit exotic animals. The novel spans settings from Africa's rhino wars to the Baghdad Zoo, the Okefenokee Swamp, and a remote private island off the Georgia coast. It connects each character's past to America's prehistory, when great creatures roamed the continent and continue to shape collective imagination.