Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this historical novel set in Alaska. When Marie and Lawrence meet, they both want the same thing, to be married. But they want it for different reasons. Lawrence is ready to settle down, homestead and have babies. Marie just wants out of her boring life and fears that if she doesn’t say yes to Lawrence, she’ll never marry. Just days after meeting, they wed and so begins the story of their marriage and homesteading journey. As a couple they struggle to communicate their feelings with one another but as they go through one hardship after another together, they find a bond that brings them together. This was not a novel I would normally pursue but I’m glad I read it and enjoyed learning about the lives of these characters and found myself cheering them on over small victories. A relatable story for anyone who’s been married.

Packed with emotion and beautiful prose, Homestead follows the turbulent marriage of Marie and Lawrence as they set to build a life for themselves in pre-statehood Alaska. I enjoyed the descriptions of Alaskan wilderness and the historical details on the fight for statehood. The characters aren't very likeable at all, so if that's something that puts you off from reading something be warned, but their story is very interesting and I think there is a lot of heart to it regardless. Something that was frustrating to me, though, was that the main conflict wasn't even miscommunication but just lack of communication at all. I also feel that the pacing of this book was much slower than I normally prefer — I do think it works for this story, but I did find myself getting bored at times because of it.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

3.5⭐️ Thank you NetGalley for early access to this audiobook! Lawrence arrives in Alaska looking to homestead and earn his claim to 150 acres of land. He meets Marie and the two are engaged one day after meeting! Without having the time to get to know each other before marrying, they need to learn the ins and outs of one another while living in a bus on their property and building their cabin. Lawrence is very reserved and doesn't often share his thoughts and feelings so their relationship is rather dysfunctional for the majority of the book. However, as it progresses you see them grow closer together working toward on shared goals. Based on the synopsis of the book, I expected it to be more plot driven but I found this to be more of a character based story. I would have liked an epilogue. The story only took place over a few short years. It would have been nice to see their lives years down the road and learn whether they succeeded or failed over the long run. Overall, I thought the book was rather slow, but it did keep my interest throughout.

This book was not for me. I did not enjoy any piece of this book, and only finished it because it is an ARC. The clipped language throughout this entire book often made it hard to follow the story. There was no warmth in the characters, and none of them ever became overly likable.

Thank you to Macmillion Audio and Net Galley for my advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with a complimentary digital audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The idea of this story had great promise. Two people joined together over their passion for homesteading and living on the Alaskan frontier in the 1950s. The dramatic elements of the realities and harshness of slugging out a life far removed from civilization were well portrayed. While the main characters marry shortly after meeting each other, I had hoped to see them grow in love and appreciation for each other.
The writing style is such that you feel like you are flying over at twenty-thousand feet seeing people below, but never really know them on a deeper level. The story is told to you by the author rather than the characters themselves. The scenery is explained in beautiful prose, however, at some point we the reader have the picture.
While we see the characters go through their daily life, we don't have a deeper understanding of why they want to live in Alaska, and why they stay together. The external conflict of life in the wild is there with bears, wolves, and weather, but not the internal conflict that keeps a character moving forward, maturing, and growing.
I am sure some readers will enjoy the rich scenery, I think I just enjoy more character-driven plots.
The narration of the book was very well done.

It feels as though I should know these characters better after spending so much time with them, the truth instead being they are not complex enough to get a feeling. There's no real reason of why they make their choices other than that's just what happened in Alaska in the 50s. There are points where time seems to stop while nothing happens, then you are rocketed forward for another bout of nothing. It just fell flat for me despite the opportunity of such a rich setting.

Really not my cup of tea. As someone who lives on a homestead this is a very negative, vulgar view and I could not get through it.

This one is a good story, and an overall good book. Wasn’t what I was expecting, and it is a very slow burning book, but like I stated it is an overall good book!

I was excited to grab this audiobook after seeing it was recommended for fans of Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. The writing was flowery. It reminded me of how a lot of classic novels are written with lyrical prose but no emotion. There's a bear attack at one point and it was a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of scene. This entire novel is a love letter to the miscommunication trope. I don't understand how two characters can spend almost every waking moment together for over 2 years and not be able to talk to each other. Trigger warnings: Infant loss. infertility.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader digital copy of this Audiobook.  The notion of homesteading in Alaska was what originally caught my attention and drew me to read this book. I love stories set in Alaska and this one looked interesting.  I also watch a lot of documentaries on Alaska and surviving on the land and really enjoy them, so I was hoping the book would be something I would enjoy as well. Sadly, however, this book was slow paced, with no real plot and no storyline.  I am glad I listened to this, because I'm not sure I would have finished it had I been reading it.

This is an evocative and beautiful book. I was lucky to get the audio ARC and loved listening to this story. The narrator has a captivating voice and I could not stop listening. The monotone of this narrator and the flatness of her voice was at first off putting then addicting. Hard to explain how this story grew on me.

The setting of Alaska, just before it became a state, was thrilling for me. The quiet story of Marie and Lawrence, as they struggle with their land and build their cabin and set up a homestead, is quiet in its brilliance. This is the story of a family at its core and it includes all the struggles and settling that most families go through.

Highly recommend for those who love rugged family tales.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the audio arc in exchange for my review

Breaking New Ground

I really enjoyed reading this story about Marie and Lawrence and their courageous struggle to build a homestead in 1950's Alaska. Since the two of them are wed just days after they meet, not only do they have the struggles of a new home but they have to get to know each other. This at the time in Alaska when it was a territory on the onset of becoming a state.

They have tragedies which they must weather, but they also have family to help. I don't know if they would have made it through the tough times without family. Lawrence's father was a great help to both of them.

I thought the bond between Marie and her sister was a great story as well. They supported each other although they each had their own challenges to face and often times were at odds with each other.

I felt for Marie at times as Lawrence struggled with his inner feelings and Marie struggled to understand Lawrence and her own feelings. It was amazing to watch how two strangers weathered the trials of starting out with nothing and building a home and a family together.

I enjoyed reading this story and I do recommend it.

Thanks to Melinda Moustakis for writing a great story, to Macmillan Audio for publishing the audio book and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

In the midst of Alaska becoming a state in the 1950’s, Marie Kubala comes to Alaska from Texas to visit her sister. On her first night in town she meets Lawrence Beringer. A few days later they are engaged to be married. For both, it seems they are more engaged to the idea of homesteading. For Lawrence and his land, it’s a way to make a name for himself in the world. For Marie, the risk of never finding someone is scarier than settling. Over the years we see how their marriage ebbs and flows. We see how hard it is to build a homestead for yourself and family. The sacrifices needed to be made for you and your family. Will their relationship break or thrive under Alaskan conditions?

The story itself was just that, a story. A story of Lawrence and Marie’s marriage. It never pulled me in all the way. I was waiting for something more to happen. I realize this book takes place in the 1950’s and couples didn’t communicate well back then but I just wanted Marie and Lawrence to communicate. The setting being Alaska was beautifully described. Melinda Moustakis put you in the middle of it. I wanted to read this since it was recommended to fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone. I can see how that comparison could be made but very much superficially. The description and location being Alaska is where the comparison stops for me. The narration was fine. It was a bit monotone and didn’t have much change throughout the book. If you’ve been through marriage difficulties and the stress of providing for a family while being self sufficient, you will most definitely find you can relate to this book.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ominous, captivating, and character-driven. This was an interesting book and totally fit my mood. It was rainy, cold, etc. and this book just really fit. I liked the characters, the setting, and the unique storyline. I love historical fiction, especially when it isn't something that has been over-done.

This was a fantastic book! It was The Great Alone meets your favorite pioneer novel. I loved the setting in that not only was it Alaska, but it was Alaska in the late 1950's, which is a time there isn't much written about. It is a story of a marriage, family and survival. I was completely caught up in it.

3.5 stars

18 year old Marie and 27 year old Lawrence want to have their own piece of the American dream, land ownership. They get married after knowing for just a few days so they could homestead a large tract of land in Alaska in hopes of eventually owning it. The rugged Alaskan landscape isn’t for the faint of heart. Will Marie and Lawrence be able to survive all that Alaska throws at them while keeping their marriage intact.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book. I really felt the heartache and betrayal that Marie was going through. Her life was not an easy one and it was all about basic survival. I honestly didn’t like Lawrence at all, and Marie was the only one I kind of felt bad for since she was 18 when this journey began. After finishing the book, I felt a bit pessimistic and empty. The book just ended, and the story didn’t feel complete.

Possible trigger for people who are sensitive to miscarriage and child loss.

The narrator was direct and to the point, much like the story. There was very little fluctuation in the narration style which helped to convey the bleakness of the story. I started listening at normal speed and eventually sped it up to 2.5.

Can someone tell me where the "joyfully alive" section of this book was please? This was such a hard book to get through, and not simply because homesteading was such a difficult life. Marie and Lawrence decide to marry within days of meeting because they both are looking for a new start. I hoped that they would find their way forward toward happiness but it seemed like every time they took a baby step in the direction of happiness, they immediately took a giant leap back toward being miserable.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

This is hard for me to review. It was just a story. Was expecting it to go in a different direction. BUT it wasn't bad. Slow moving things happen...

I think other people may LOVE it. But not my style of read.

This is a gorgeous, atmospheric, and powerful book. The relationships in Homestead are full of love, and also fraught with unexpected emotions and actions. The dangers of the location feel completely real and made this reader's heart speed up more than once. 5 stars!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was my pleasure.

Homestead takes place in Alaska right before it became an official state. Marie and Lawrence meet with a hope for a bright future and a dream of homesteading. Lawrence acquires 150 acres of land and the two get married very quickly and set off to build a life together. All does not go smoothly. They do not know each other, but have to somehow work together to make this place a home. They both deal with mental health struggles, trauma, and major physical dangers from living in remote Alaska from the wildlife to the weather. Will they make it or destroy their home and each other in the process?

I loved many things about this book. I picked this book because i would love to go to Alaska someday, and I do think homesteading sounds idyllic. The gorgeous landscape and working hard to make a life for yourself really appeal to me. I love gardening and hiking and canning food that I’ve grown myself. I can see why someone would want to just have a peaceful life in nature. I also liked that everyone in the story had flaws. They seemed like real people. The description of the land and the wildlife also seemed very realistic which was enjoyable. The author fully captured the bleakness of life at the cabin in Alaska. The feel of the book plus the descriptions made it absolutely believable. It takes place in the past, but this story could be going on right now in Alaska as I write. I also loved that although the characters lives were immeasurably hard, they never gave up and always gave grace to each other and forgave.

I did struggle with many things as well throughout this book. None of these people were likeable. I wanted to care about all of them, but they all seemed so flat and no one ever talked about what was in their mind. So much could have been solved by just speaking and it was so silent. I was frustrated the whole time for everyone involved. One or two characters not being able to express themselves seems fine, but all of them? I don’t know. The pace was painfully slow. I think I would have struggled to finish it, had it not been an audiobook. This felt to me like Grapes of Wrath or some other required reading that you’re glad you finished, but would never pick up again.

That being said, I do think this was a very well done piece of literature. I think there are probably many people who will love this, especially people who love nature and historical fiction. If you want a realistic view of what life in the Alaskan homesteading culture was like, then this one is for you.

This same review was posted by me on Goodreads under the name Shavon Gruber Haag.