Eden Pond
Eden Pond is the main character in the Eden Pond Series.
Biography
Eden Pond grew up on Tillamook Bay in the years after World War I. At the start of World War II, she lived in Garibaldi, Oregon with her older brother Merton. Her twin brother Harry recently moved to nearby Tillamook to serve as an air raid warden, leaving Eden to share the old family house with Merton. The 17 year age difference between Merton and the twins, combined with the fact their parents died when the twins were toddlers, means Merton was always more of a father than brother to Eden.
After the death of her parents from Spanish Flu in 1918, Eden and Harry were raised by Merton with the help of family friend Tillie Larkin. Eden would always look up to Tillie, seeing her as both a mother-figure and friend.
In addition to keeping the books for Merton's repair business, Eden was a part-time secretary for Garibaldi Public School. She also served on her local ration board. She wrote poetry, though rarely shared it until her friend Beatrice submitted it to a journal without Eden's knowledge—only admitting the deed when several of the poems were accepted.
Her mother’s name was Arabelle and her father was Rufus. Though she has no memory of them, she often tries to imagine what they must have been like. Merton doesn't like to talk about their parents, not least because his larynx was damaged in the First World War. Though she's unsure if she'll ever even marry, if she ever has children Eden plans to name them for her parents.
Description
She had black, shoulder-length hair which she typically curled and wore off her face. She got her hair color and large brown eyes from her mother, and her sharp, narrow nose and small mouth from her father. When asked, she described herself as plain. She was 5'10" tall, which seemed to be offputting to many who met her. The fact she was three inches taller than Harry was a source of some tension between them, a fact she found inexplicable.
Vital Statistics
Date of Birth: 7 February 1917
Date of Death: —
Planned Novels
At present, there are four planned novels in the Eden Pond Series. If there is interest, more are possible, as well as shorter works. One step at a time, of course.
The first, working title Tillamook Guerillas, will take place in February through May of 1942 as America shifts to a war footing in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack. Murder at the Shipyardwill take place in Portland at the Kaiser Shipyards, where labor clashes with management and an influx of women and minorities in the workplace result in violence and murder. Women's Air Service will center on the U.S. Navy's Tillamook Naval Air Station and the death of a flamboyant member of the Women’s Air Service. Fire Balloon takes place late in the war, when a death blamed on one of Imperial Japan’s infamous fire balloons may be more than it seems.
Character Affiliations
- Merton Pond, brother
- Harry Pond, brother
- Allen Birch, Tillamook County sheriff
- Clifford Stern, deputy sheriff
- Jonah Shibuya, Eden's and Harry's childhood friend
Significant Locations
Appearances
The following represent the working titles of four possible books in the series. Assuming they're ever written and published, the titles are subject to change, and other book ideas may be added or take the place of those currently listed.
- Tillamook Guerillas, Eden Pond Book 1
- Murder at the Shipyard, Eden Pond Book 2
- Women's Air Service, Eden Pond Book 3
- Fire Balloon, Eden Pond Book 4
References