The inspiration for In Search of Eden came from Pnina’s garden. Pnina writes, “I turned 60 years old one beautiful April day. Walking through my garden. I delighted in seeing that my great Oriental poppies were in full bloom. Their beauty was overwhelming. It was, I thought, like being in Paradise. It occurred to me that we complain a great deal, bemoaning the loss of the Garden of Eden, even still blaming Eve for our eviction. But no, I thought, here it is, if we only care to look and see.
“This was the impetus for the series In Search of Eden. The poppies, symbol of short-lived beauty and vigor, became the vehicle for the series. They contain within them a darker search for Eden, the drug which leads to hell. We are the angels, I thought. It is up to us to make our lives heaven or hell… it is all up to us.”
