Laura M. Balster

In the Garden... Laura M. Balster

It was the spring of 1924 and the little town of Lucas, Kansas, was about to be changed forevermore. Emma Brozek had accepted the friendship and eventually the unlikely affections of her eighty one year old employer, Samuel Perry Dinsmoor, the eccentric sculptor of The Garden of Eden. She was twenty years of age ? an innocent and beautiful young woman. She was also my grandfather?s sister. Their scandalous marriage is well documented, as is the birth of their two children. Thousands of photos have been taken of The Garden (now listed on the National Register of Historic Places), many books and articles have been written about my ancestors, and in recent years much information has been available via the internet. But?I don?t believe any of this tells the whole story. I?ve always felt there is much more to their unconventional relationship than what has been reported. Mine is a fictionalized account, but inspired by real events. It is a love story?and a ghost story. It is based on a place which really exists and you can tour for a nominal fee. It is a quiet and cold dwelling which takes you back in time the minute you step through the door and smell the musty scent of yesteryear. Some intangible history lies just beyond your grasp, but when you close your eyes and open your mind you can sense something which has passed before. The Garden continues to intrigue thousands of visitors every year, and the residents of my hometown. For those of us who know the place, it will haunt us for all of our days. There is nowhere else on earth like The Garden of Eden and I invite you to join me as we travel back to 1924 and explore the strange story of Emma and Sam.