There are a lot of things about this book that I really like -- the unusual swapping back and forth of POVs, the environmental setting of the mood, the historical context of homesteading in Alaska in the 1950s -- but I also had some struggles in getting into this one. It reminded me a lot of The Great Alone, which I loved in the moment, but now feel sort of traumatized by the content of the book, and I kept flinching in this one, expecting things to get physical between the characters. While nothing like this happened in the pages I read, I think I was finding them difficult to separate. I also struggled with the white-centricness of the narrative, and wanted to see it better reconcile with Indigenous presence in Alaska. While in some ways, I guess it may have been true to homesteaders who weren't entirely aware of their surroundings, but it fell short in this area for me.

The setting of this novel in Alaska plays the perfect backdrop to this tense and moving story. Set right around the time of Alaskan statehood, Lawrence’s fight to overcome his demons mirrors his attempts to tame the land as he carves out a place. I’d recommend this book for anyone who loves books set in Alaska, and caution a TW for folks that may have military trauma similar to Lawrence’s.

Homestead by Melinda Moustakis is a strong debut novel about a couple who homesteads in Alaska in the 1950's.

Marie and Lawrence met at the Moose Lodge in Anchorage, Alaska and within days they were married. There was no discussion of hopes, dreams, or anything of the sort. The only real discussion was about homesteading 150 acres in the Alaskan wilderness. It was more a marriage of convenience and at the right time and right place. At times I was sure their marriage was doomed mainly from lack of quality communication.

At times, Moustakis writing is beautiful and almost poetic. There were times I wanted to reach through the pages and choke Lawrence. There were times if felt like Moustakis left out chunks of the story which I found frustrating.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Possible triggers: Infant death, stillborn death

Homestead, by Melinda Moustakis tells the story of two young people in Anchorage Al. They meet at a bar and are immediately attracted to each other. Within a few days they are married and prepare to move to Lawrence’s parcel of land. He had hoped the land would bring a kind of peace that the lower states didn’t give him. Marie, sees the opportunity to get her life in order. She doesn’t see much of a future for herself and this could be the answer. Once married and on the new land, problems arise for the newlyweds. The author does a good job at showing these problems in an honest way. They are normal issues and then specific issues that come from the time, the location and their immaturity. All of this of going on while Alaska is trying to become a state. Causing tension in Anchorage.. Can Lawrence and Marie, make things work? Can they have a successful, full life? Overall this was a good read. It was an original story and I liked the characters honesty. This was a four star read for me. I would like to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this story.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

REVIEW TO FOLLOW.

The Homestead is about one newlywed couple and their journey homesteading 150 acres in Alaska in 1956. Lawrence & Marie met & married in a whirlwind romance, barely knowing each other. Each wanting to marry and ‘escape’ for their own reasons. On their desolate acreage they face many trials within themselves, about each other and with their land.
I enjoy books learning about new things and this did not disappoint in that area. How they had to survive and how hard they worked was amazing. I give this book a 3⭐️ only because it did seem to drag a little.

As much as I wanted to like this book I fear that I did not. Where other people read 'artistic prose' I read choppy hard to understand sentences that just felt incomplete in thought. Although by the end of the book I had gotten into the cadence of the writing, that did not mean that I was enjoying it.

Two virtual strangers meet and marry within days. She is looking for belonging, he is looking for children to help on the Alaskan acreage he plans to homestead. One hundred and fifty acres selected from a surveyors map in the 1950's - a wilderness that must be developed. The story is the ups and downs of both homesteading and learning to live with the stranger that you married.

I really, really wanted to like this one and i think it had so much potential. However, the writing style was so different thati had a hard time following the storyline and the different characters within the story. The writing itself was very atmospheric and that was very important to me as the setting if the story, The Alaskan Fronteir was a huge draw for me as a reader. I ended up DNFing at about 30% in because I just couldnt get past the "stream of conciousness" writing style, its just not my cup of tea. That being said, I could see readers who love setting driven plots and the ferocity of homesteaders absolutely loving this book.

Anchorage, 1956. Marie is looking for a future, and Lawrence has a parcel of 150 acres from the State of Alaska. Both are aching for a home, and they decide to marry with little more than that between them. As they begin to work the land to earn the deed to their homestead, there is much they must learn. They not only have to carve a homestead out of unforgiving tundra, but they must also learn to know and love each other.

This is a saga of a man and a woman fighting a frozen land to claim a home for themselves, but it is so much more than that. We watch Alaska move toward statehood, and we see the sheer size and harsh realities of the territory. As Marie and Lawrence attempt to make a home, it is evident that there are problems even greater than the snow, cold, dark days, and wolves. As we watch them fight all these things, it becomes clear that there is a territory even bleaker than Alaska, and that is Lawrence’s heart.

The writing is sublime, and the reader is instantly transported to this dangerous land. But the human struggles are where this book really shines, as Marie and Lawrence battle loneliness, numbing cold, loss, and the one big lie that threatens to destroy everything. This is absolutely remarkable historical fiction that fans of Alaskan history will enjoy.

My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no partial star option.

I received a free copy of this book from Flatiron Books via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I wrote about this on StoryGraph and GoodReads with links sent to Twitter & Mastodon.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5358000023

HOMESTEAD by Melinda Moustakis immediately pulls at the reader's heartstrings and doesn't let go as Moustakis relates the story of Marie and Lawrence and their efforts to create a home in Alaska. The debut novel is set in the mid-1950s and Lawrence is a Korean War vet with some unresolved PTSD issues. Marie, from Conroe, Texas, is an eighteen year-old running away from a poor family situation. After barely meeting, they decide to marry and the novel recounts their efforts to build a relationship and a family. Readers need to be patient. Each chapter represents a month or so as they attempt to erect a cabin, clear the land, and grow crops; this is rather slow reading at times, especially when these two young people seem to be talking past each other, wanting the same things, but unable to communicate their feelings and needs. Loneliness is pervasive. Still, readers will not be able to stop caring for them and the family members who do visit, Lawrence's father, Joseph, and Marie's sister, Sheila, with her husband, Sly. Moustakis' writing about nature is poetic, too: "How sudden the autumn came, as the aspen and birch leaves flash bright and golden, a catch of the eye before the falling. But something to be said for the spruce trees, unchanged, steadfast in their evergreen." HOMESTEAD received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly. If you are looking for a classic about married life and pioneering in the North (Alberta, Canada), I highly recommend a longtime personal favorite: Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman which relates the story of Katherine Mary O’Fallon and Canadian Mountie Mike Flannigan.

Marie has no idea what's ahead when she impulsively marries Lawrence in 1956 because he has 150 acres of Alaskan land to homestead. Lawrence, a veteran who struggles with issues, has a vision of raising 12 children in the cabin he intends to build but he doesn't have a vision or even seem to understand how to relate to his wife. The work is hard, the life dreary but then she becomes pregnant, a pregnancy which ends in tragedy. She faces a crisis in her mental health as well as the conditions at their homestead. This is claustrophobic and atmospheric with two characters who are unable to have a honest conversation about their expectations or feelings. You'll sense the mud, the cold, the pilot biscuit, and you'll want to reach out and tell Lawrence, well, you'll see. Moustakis' writing requires patience- it's dense- but it works with her subject matter. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. There isn't any joy here but this is an interesting and immersive look at a couple creating a new life in Alaska.

I finished this book but it was a struggle. It held a lot of promise when I began but I found the prose to be very slow.
I didn’t connect with any of the characters and I didn’t really get much from the book, it wasn’t my cup of tea.

This piece of historical fiction immerses readers into the life of a couple who homesteads a 150-acre plot of land in the years leading up to Alaska’s statehood. The story provides a clear sense of the landscape and a realistic portrayal of the monotony, struggle, and occasional triumph of building a life in the wilderness.

I appreciated the author’s ability to paint a sense of place. The descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness and the daily tasks associated with establishing a homestead made me feel as though I was a true participant in Lawrence and Marie’s adventure.

Some elements that didn’t exactly resonate with me include the unusual writing style and the underdeveloped and a bit cliche background stories for the main characters. The author’s descriptions frequently eliminate articles, subjects, and conjugated verbs: “The dark morning, the sun still shining” and “Opens the door of the bus….” Sentences range from short, staccato statements to repetitive run-ons. Some paragraphs read like a series of listed observations. Throughout, I contemplated the reasoning behind the style. Was the author trying to convey the cadence of an individual’s thoughts or perhaps the way we take in information? It was distracting, but I got used to it after a while.

If you’re seeking deep character development or a thrilling plot, this novel won’t deliver, but if you want to spend a few days staking out a claim in the Alaskan wilderness, this book will serve.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.

I had mixed feelings about Homestead - I really enjoyed the story, but some parts felt a little repetitive and I didn't ever feel like I just had to keep reading. But, I loved the writing, I will definitely be looking for more from Moustakis! I also really enjoyed reading about Alaska and homesteading, it was very interesting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced copy.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

The descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness and wildlife were very good. I enjoyed the writing. Recommend.

3.75☆

Unfortunately this wasn't the book for me. I DNF'd at 30%. I couldn't connect with the characters and it was too slow.

If you’re new here, or don’t know me and weren’t around when The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven found me in 2021, here’s a weird reader-trait of mine: I love reading about the cold. The arctic, the Alaskan wilderness, Norway, Sweden – anything isolated and cold immediately peaks my interest. So when I saw Homestead by Melinda Moustakis, I knew I’d be reading it. It’s about a young woman who comes from Texas to visit her sister in Alaska in 1956. She ends up marrying a virtual stranger who has a plot of land literally in the middle of Nowhere, Alaska and they start to build a life together. But things aren’t easy! This was just the kind of read I expected it to be – cold and lonely – and I enjoyed BUT if you aren’t into cold and lonely this one is not for you. 4 stars

This has a pretty slow pace (a bit like homesteading) and is well written. It won't be for everyone, as the pacing and writing style won't please some readers. I like this overall.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

We were pleased to share this title at our live Spring Book Preview event for the Modern Mrs Darcy and What Should I Read Next communities on January 10, 2023, when 1200 readers attended live and twice that many watched the replay in the following week. The PDF from that event is attached. Long story short: I loved this book from its jarring beginning. Fascinating story about the dynamics of a relationship unfolding in a specific and challenging place and time. I especially appreciate the timing of this story: because Alaska became a state in 1959 and that drive towards statehood—and associated changes—permeates the novel. I had no idea how much I didn't know!