Devotion: From the Bestselling Author of Burial Rites

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Description

Prussia, 1836 Hanne Nussbaum is a child of nature - she would rather run wild in the forest than conform to the limitations of womanhood. In her village of Kay, Hanne is friendless and considered an oddity . . . until she meets Thea. Ocean, 1838 The Nussbaums are Old Lutherans, bound by God's law and at odds with their King's order for reform. Forced to flee religious persecution the families of Kay board a crowded, disease-riddled ship bound for the new colony of South Australia. In the face of brutal hardship, the beauty of whale song enters Hanne's heart, along with the miracle of her love for Thea. Theirs is a bond that nothing can break. The whale passed. The music faded.

Reviews

Piercingly beautiful . . . [Hanne and Thea's] story is an elegy, freighted with loss and longing * Guardian *
With an extraordinarily daring twist halfway through its narrative Devotion is a remarkable novel, an almost visionary celebration of the death-defying power of the womens love * Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month *
A modern classic, on par with heart wrenching love stories such as Wuthering Heights and Pride And Prejudice. It tells the story of an achingly beautiful love and a brutal search for freedom . . . A moving tale with a breathtaking twist * The Herald *
Devotion is rare and exquisite, both beautiful and muscular in its portrayal of love found and denied. Its a story of love as a radical act . . . this is masterful storytelling with pull-no-punches stakes. Its taken root in my heart -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies
Kent tells her heroine's burgeoning love story beautifully * The Times *
Such a glorious love story. And the poetry of the landscape had, for me, a Whitmanesque sensibility. A mighty impassioned cry to love and the land -- Sarah Winman, author of Still Life
Hannah Kents latest novel is stunning - full of magic and adventure. I fell in love with language again reading it. So beautiful and so raw. Devotion is impossibly good -- Evie Wyld, author of The Bass Rock
Absolutely stunning. The writing, the characters and the twist were just perfect. Any Hannah Kent novel is guaranteed to be powerful, moving and so imaginative, but this was something else. It is a story that will stay with me -- Elizabeth Macneal, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory and Circus of Wonders
A poetic story of friendship, nature and what it means to step into a new world - both physically and spiritually * Cosmopolitan *
A superb novel. A fantastic merging of exquisite lyrical writing and page-turning adventure. Devotion had me constantly surprised, always entertained, and ultimately deeply moved: it deserves to be a glittering success -- Emma Stonex, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lamplighters
Kent combines lyrical writing with a strong sense of place in this novel that takes us from a 19th-century Prussian village to the dusty plains of Australia * Good Housekeeping *
It is a love story, ardent and wholesome, and it drapes its reader in lush historical detail. Fans will find a lot to savour * Guardian Australia *
[A] marvellous queer love story * InDaily *
Draped in rich historical detail, Hannah Kent's luminous and poignant story explores kindred spirits and an epic search for freedom * Woman's Own *
Devotion, is nothing short of divine. Kent uses prose like a magician might use a wand. I could say so much about the depth and scope of this novel, its raw, powerful connection to nature and human emotion, and it still wouldnt do it justice. Simply put, this is a beautiful book. A liturgy of love, full of grace and wonder. -- Nydia Hetherington, author of A Girl Made of Air
One of my favourite reads of the year . . . While there is great sadness and hardship here, this surprising novel is ultimately about beauty, nature and an epic love. I adored it * ABC Arts *
A tale of the refiguring might of faithful hearts; of love that sustains and love that ruins; of exile and dominion * Sydney Morning Herald *
Exceptional . . . there are not many novelists writing today who can conjure a European past as vividly as Hannah Kent . . . she is a master at immersing the reader in a particular place and a particular period, specialising in stories of women on the margins trapped in close-knit communities and claustrophobic situations * New European *
Devotion is utterly original. A glorious heartbreaking love story of infinite beauty -- Heather Rose, author of The Museum of Modern Love

Author Bio

Hannah Kent's first novel, the multi award winning international bestseller, Burial Rites, was translated into over 30 languages and is being adapted for film. Her second novel, The Good People was translated into 10 languages, nominated for numerous awards and is also being adapted for film. Devotion, her third novel, published in 2021, won Booktopia's Favourite Australian Book, and was shortlisted for multiple industry awards. Her original feature film, Run Rabbit Run, was directed by Daina Reid and starred Sarah Snook. Hannah is also the co-founder of Kill Your Darlings, and has written for The New York Times, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, Meanjin, Qantas Magazine and LitHub. She lives and works on Peramangk and Kaurna country.