Homestead

A Novel

De: Melinda Moustakis

Narrado por: Ariel Blake

"Ariel Blake soothingly narrates this desolate tale of Marie and Lawrence as they come together and navigate an abrupt new marriage, loss of their first child, and homesteading in the rugged Alaskan wilderness during the 1950s."- AudioFile

From NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION 5 UNDER 35 HONOREE and FLANNERY O'CONNOR AWARD WINNER Melinda Moustakis, a debut novel set in Alaska, about the turbulent marriage of two unlikely homesteaders

"So good, so precise, so strong, and so deeply felt.” —Jess Walter, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Recommended for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone.” —Booklist (starred review)

Anchorage, 1956. When Marie and Lawrence first lock eyes at the Moose Lodge, they are immediately drawn together. But when they decide to marry, days later, they are more in love with the promise of homesteading than anything. For Lawrence, his parcel of 150 acres is an opportunity to finally belong in a world that has never delivered on its promise. For Marie, the land is an escape from the empty future she sees spinning out before her, and a risky bet is better than none at all. But over the next few years, as they work the land in an attempt to secure a deed to their homestead, they must face everything they don’t know about each other. As the Territory of Alaska moves toward statehood and inexorable change, can Marie and Lawrence create something new, or will they break apart trying?

Immersive and wild-hearted, joyfully alive to both the intimate and the elemental, Homestead is an unflinching portrait of a new state and of the hard-fought, hard-bitten work of making a family.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

Excellent novel and reading

Lyrical and precise storytelling with fully alive characters, including the land. I could not put it down. Also loved the delivery by the narrator- which was as melodic as the prose.

Boring

The book is a slow read but the reader made it slower! Had to go to the end to make sure I didn’t miss something.

Excellent Story

It really reviews the hardship between the land and people in homesteading thank you for an excellent story

The distinct writing style. Abrupt and short.

This is a story of survival without any fluff. The struggles are many and the sadness abounds. There is little joy.

Great writing and wonderful subject

I loved this book.
Concise, but still detailed writing. Of course the writing style matched the subject perfectly. No flowery fillers in this book - just a well constructed narrative of the harsh life and conditions of the people and wilderness of pre state Alaska.
I found the characters very vivid and easily understood with their motivations and actions - the subject matter and daily lives seemed awfully realistic. I thought this was a well told story and I didn't find it depressing or boring - just realistic. Ordinary life has its downs and more often not too many ups; Just surviving life is considered an "up" to a lot of us. It was a great snapshot of the times and perhaps a peak into the motivations of the Alaskan homesteaders.
I wish the narrator would have used more distinction in her voices for the different people - it was difficult at times to distinguish who was speaking and/or thinking....but her voice was lovely to listen to and seemed to fit the part of Marie perfectly.