Devotion

by

304 pages

English language

Published May 21, 2022 by Pan Macmillan.

ISBN:
978-1-5098-6391-4
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5 stars (2 reviews)

1836, Prussia. Hanne is nearly fifteen and the domestic world of womanhood is quickly closing in on her. A child of nature, she yearns instead for the rush of the river, the wind dancing around her. Hanne finds little comfort in the local girls and friendship doesn't come easily, until she meets Thea and she finds in her a kindred spirit and finally, acceptance.

Hanne's family are Old Lutherans, and in her small village hushed worship is done secretly - this is a community under threat. But when they are granted safe passage to Australia, the community rejoices: at last a place they can pray without fear, a permanent home. Freedom.

It's a promise of freedom that will have devastating consequences for Hanne and Thea, but, on that long and brutal journey, their bond proves too strong for even nature to break . . .

1 edition

reviewed Devotion by Hannah Kent

Review - Devotion

5 stars

This was a f2f bookclub read, which often take me a long way out of my comfort zone. Rarely, however, does a book take me so far out, and then tear me to pieces like this one did. If, like me, the opening of this with the overt religious nature of the community and the narrative is making you uncomfortable, or worse still, disinterested, all I can say is stick with it.

Everything in this story is leading somewhere amazing. It's emotional, beautiful, touching, surprising and so incredibly moving. Sniffed, snuffled and out and out cried my way through the last part of this book.

reviewed Devotion by Hannah Kent

Australian gothic love story

4 stars

This was a Christmas gift chosen for me on the basis of it being an Australian gothic ghost story. Really though, it's a love story. A supernatural one and also a queer one. I bawled my way through a good part of it because I cared about the main characters and because the plot happenings were the kind of things that hit me right in the feels. It's a beautiful book.

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