This book hooked me in and would not let me go. The characters felt so real and human. The sense of place and landscape was both dreamy and harsh, a real testament to the difficulty of homesteading in the West at the end of the 1800's. The book had an over-arching sense of the magical, with the camels and conversations with the dead that wove through the story seamlessly. This only heightened the novel; my favorite parts were Nora's conversations with Evelyn, a dead baby and yet expressed as a complete character. So well done. I can't wait to recommend this book at my bookstore.

2.5 stars, rounded down

I picked this purely because I thought it took place in Arizona and I’ve always wanted to read a historical novel from the Arizona Territory days. I have not read Obreht’s prior book.

This one just never grabbed me. Told from two POVs, Lurie, a wanted man from Missouri who becomes a cameleer, and Nora, a frontier woman awaiting the return of her husband and older sons, it was choppy and stilted. Both are haunted by ghosts. In Laurie’s case, they literally make demands of him. And his narrative is directed to the camel he leads across the west. Nora holds conversations with her dead daughter.

I debated just putting this one down numerous times. The pace of this book is as slow as a desert tortoise. The story also meanders across time and place. To be honest, I only kept reading because other reviews mentioned how great the ending was (and it was worth finishing for the ending). In a way, it reminded me of Lincoln in the Bardo, similar language and of course, the ghosts. If you like that book, you’ll probably like this one. I didn't care for either. I was an outlier on that book and will probably by on this one as well.

Also, I had to do some research, but it would appear that Nora’s homestead was actually in what is now New Mexico, up close to the Four Corners. While the author spends a lot of time writing about the homestead, she didn’t give me a real sense of place. Anyone who has spent time in NM and AZ knows how different the landscape can be and I resented having to research it to get a better feel. And despite them being down to their last cups of water, huge periods of time pass when it doesn’t factor into the story at all. And how can there be mud in a drought? Little things like that irritated me. I did enjoy the story about the camels and their trek. In fact, the relationship between Burke and Lurie was the one part of the story I did enjoy.

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

The first half of this book is written to create a richly atmospheric feel to the American Southwest setting and the foreboding of something, be it sinister or tragic or merely revelatory, on its way. I was completely immersed in the setting because of the rich detail to every nuance of character, dialogue, action and event. There were times, however, that the rich detail of everything bogged down for me. To use half of the book to achieve that was not necessary. The plot really started driving and revealing itself after the first half and I continued on, like a camel driven to find water, to arrive at my final destination. I give this book 3 and a half stars and recommend to readers who enjoy setting-driven and atmospheric tales. A very interesting read. Thanks to netgalley and random house for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. It is two separate stories and they are both complete on their own. When they finally do intersect it is not a surprise - it is brief, beautiful and heartbreaking. They are stories of the American Southwest in the 1890's and of homesteading, exploring and persevering. The imagery and setting are as much of the story as the characters are, and she renders it both precisely and metaphorically.

Weird and wonderful, with two disparate stories that intersect in an unlikely way in 1890s Arizona Territory.

Much of the book is a Western—which I love—centered around an impulsive, hot-tempered, strong woman fighting to make a life for her family in a remote town during a devastating drought; the other plotline concerns a man and his surprising, loyal, exotic companion and their adventures and challenges.

Nora is reflecting on her static, hardscrabble life and how she came to feel stuck within it. Her lightness in and affection for the company of a man other than her husband seem rooted in her ability to talk honestly about her fears and hopes and varied opinions—precisely what had built her marital closeness in the first place, but has faded in the face of struggle and annoyance and shared frustration within her marriage to Emmett.

Meanwhile Lurie’s path twists and turns for years, until he’s not sure if his continuous running and escape is from a real or imagined threat.

With fantastical elements throughout that make even the most jaded characters believers in the odd and unbelievable. A remarkable and unusual story that seems like one I’ll have flashes of for a long time.

Random House Publishing Group provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

In the lawless, drought-ridden lands of the Arizona Territory in 1893, two extraordinary lives collide. Nora is an unflinching frontierswoman awaiting the return of the men in her life.

This is one of my fav genres but this was a struggle to read! I never connected with any of the characters and the story seemed to meander over here and then over there.

2☆

Unfortunately I did not finish this book, because I could not get into the story. I think it was a combination of the writing style and the world the story was set it. It did not hold my attention. I tried several times to read it, but it was not to be.
I think it will be for somebody else who enjoys this type of novel.

Inland is another mythic and sweeping tale by Tea Obrecht and flows better than The Tigers Wife. Worth the read!

4.5 Stars

It’s been around eight years since I read Téa Obreht’s debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife, but the fact that I loved the beautiful writing and the story had been enough incentive for me to request this second novel, Inland. I’m so glad that I did.

This story has a duel narrative, which kept me on my toes, and wanders over time, over centuries, and around the world in one of the narratives. Over the course of a day in another narrative, traveling through time using memories revisited, times and places, loves and losses over a lifetime. Through all of this, Obreht weaves this story of the early days of the Arizona Territory, 1893, with an enchanting sprinkling of magical realism, as well as a spiritual connection – both of these two narrators have conversations with, and connections to the dead.

This isn’t a carefree, cheerful read, yet it doesn’t dwell in the harshness of these lives. There is much pondering and wonderment of their surroundings, as bleak as they are, and through these we learn their stories. Obreht manages to skillfully weave into this story the historical experimentation of the United States Camel Corps. using camels as pack animals in the Southwest during the mid-19th-century development of the country. The US Army eventually decided to abandon this project, despite the camels’ stamina. This added another layer to the story, but what I loved most about this was the vivid portrayal of the era, the landscape, and the memories of these two people, their stories, as well as their conversations with those who haunt their days and nights.

If there were brief moments while reading this where it felt as though I had wandered in the desert too long, the breathtaking ending is one that will remain etched in my mind.



Pub Date: 13 Aug 2019


Many thanks for the ARC provided by to Random House Publishing Group – Random House

Two narrators switch off in this lyrically written tale of life in the late 19th century American southwest. A Turkish immigrant tells the story of how he got involved in the U.S. Army's Camel Corps- which really existed- and his story unfolds over years. The other narrator is a homesteading wife and mother whose story takes place in one very thirsty day. Both of these characters interact with ghosts. This is excellent historical fiction with a dash of magical realism.

This is one western that will blow your mind. Obreht has used the same mythical voice she used in the Tiger's Wife to lay over an already dreamlike landscape of drought in Arizona. A mother and half grown sons generate a powerful dynamic not often explored, and the youngest, who knows about scary beasts, brings magic and intuition. Not for the just the facts reader, but a journey into a barren world, inside and out.

Tea Obreht has written a very unusual historical novel set in the Arizona territory. There are two main characters, Lurie and Nora. Lurie is a hardscrabble, down on his luck, scrappy kid who becomes a man over the course of years. He wends his way through many mishaps and adventures that test his resolve, ingenuity and luck. Nora is the wife of the owner of small newspaper. She has come West with him in a burst to escape her Midwest expectations for the lure of something better. She is the mother of four (one deceased) who is confronted with an alien land, loneliness, and now an unending drought. Her husband is missing and her sons are delayed. Obreht tells her story in the space of maybe a day or so.

This is a skillful writer who is able to balance two stories and two very different timelines over a long novel. She achieves this by always keeping in land….as the title suggests…Inland. The environment itself challenges these characters in ways that accentuate what they desire, what they fear and what they dare hope for in the future.

This is not your ordinary Western but a novelist’s meditation on what life may have been like in such a vast, uncertain world. Not an easy read but language, description and the unique pacing propels the reader to find out what befalls these characters. This book stayed with me long after the last page.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this title. Great cover!

I never start a book that I don’t finish even though it is not the type of book that I thought it was going to be but I’m sure others will be happy with it

It's hard to deny Tea Obreht's talent for luminous prose--The Tiger's Wife glowed with the poetry of her language. Inland is a more difficult and less rewarding read: despite the glorious language, these characters are harder to connect with and the reader has to work harder to tumble into the story.

DNF. I loved The Tiger’s Wife, and have tried to like Inland, but at almost half-way through I am struggling to connect to any of the characters, and to find the thread of the two stories which are meant to come together. The writing, in places, is luminous and full of poetic beauty, and then it gets bogged down in wordiness. Some have described this as a thriller, but I have found it dull and meandering and have finally given up – two stars, which feels both generous and not nearly enough for an author I so badly wanted to love again.

I just couldn’t engage with these two stories enough to stick with this one. Quite descriptive, but the plot appears to be non-existent about 20% in

Not 100% sure why I requested this one. It is not something I would normally read. I feel bad saying so but I see why this isn't my thing. I decided to not finish about 12% in because I just couldn't connect to the story. I'm sure it's lovely but so not my thing.

This is the most unique book I've come across in a long while. The reader is led on a peculiar journey of two characters: the first of an immigrant written in the first person through discussion with his dearest friend (whose identity will certainly surprise you), and the second of an American frontier woman written in the third person (who has unexpected conversations of her own). Throughout the story, these two seemingly unrelated story lines keep the reader guessing. It is in the convergence of these two narratives that everything ultimately becomes clear.

Obreht is a talented writer, no doubt. The confluence of her talent and intellect makes for a compelling read. I must, however, admit that this novel takes a certain amount of patience, as the author's method of writing, though appealing, is also somewhat obscure. Initially I thought this novel was headed down an eerie path, then I thought it could possibly be a murder mystery, but then it veered once again. Eventually, I discovered it was a historical fiction novel, and learned about the little known U.S. Army Camel Corp. which made it a worthwhile read. I must admit, I would've like the stories to have been a bit more intertwined, as I was expecting a major "Aha" moment during the climax. So, for those of you that like having a general idea where the narrative is headed, this novel may prove frustrating, especially when it is much like reading two separate stories. However, if you're game for a very different style of storytelling, one that requires thought and patience, this is a novel you'll enjoy for its uniqueness.

Many thanks to Random House and Net Galley for gifting me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on August 13, 2019.

You could describe Inland as a Western, a ghost story, or historical fiction and it is all of that and more. I think of it like a man and a woman soul searching, looking for forgiveness and reason in a very harsh world. There are many parallels to water and nourishment.
Nora needs love and nourishment of her soul because of the harsh climate and her singlehandedly having to take care of her family and ranch while her husband is searching for water. Lurie seems to be searching for adventure but realizes it does not nourish his soul. The land is in dire need of water and the story also includes camels who are able to do things that horses and men cannot in the harsh desert. The writing is lyrical and descriptive and full of longing for an easier way of life. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

In the mid-1800s Lurie, who is brought as a child by his father to the US from Bosnia, travels west. Nora is an American woman who moves to Arizona in the late 1800s. From this simple premise Obreht has written an engrossing novel of the challenges encountered by those who try to survive create a meaningful life under harsh conditions. Both Lurie and Nora face down their own internal demons caused by the death of others. Lurie sees some of these people while Nora’s speaks to her in her head.

Obreht uses American history of this time period and these two remarkable characters to talk about truth and deception, the human desire to connect with those who have died, and mental survival under times of extreme stress.

The writing is remarkable. I was able to clearly see, hear, and smell the environment around the characters. The Lurie sections are written in first person, while the Nora sections are in third which illustrates Obreh’ts writing talent.

This is a book to read slowly in order to absorb every sentence, scene, and chapter. It is magnificent.