Inland by Téa Obreht
Publisher/Year: Random House, 2019
Format: Hardcover, B&N Edition
Pages: 390
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads
Summary
The New York Times bestselling author of The Tiger‘s Wife returns with a stunning tale of perseverance–an epic journey across an unforgettable landscape of magic and myth.
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–her husband, who has gone in search of water for the parched household, and her elder sons, who have vanished after an explosive argument. Nora is biding her time with her youngest son, who is convinced that a mysterious beast is stalking the land around their home.
Lurie is a former outlaw and a man haunted by ghosts. He sees lost souls who want something from him, and he finds reprieve from their longing in an unexpected relationship that inspires a momentous expedition across the West. The way in which Nora’s and Lurie’s stories intertwine is the surprise and suspense of this brilliant novel.
Mythical, lyrical, and sweeping in scope, Inland is grounded in true but little-known history. It showcases all of Téa Obreht’s talents as a writer, as she subverts and reimagines the myths of the American West, making them entirely–and unforgettably–her own.
What I thought
Unlike many readers, I have not read Téa Obreht’s debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife. After having finished this, her sophomore novel, however, I am eagerly looking forward to diving into that one.
Inland was a struggle for me, I won’t lie. I’m already a slow reader to begin with, but I inched along at a snail’s pace with this book. I don’t know that I’d say that’s a bad thing, though. Admittedly, it took me a while to get into her writing style, particularly due to the fact that Lurie’s and Nora’s storylines were written so stylistically different. But as I settled into this story, I became utterly entranced. It was still slow-going, don’t get me wrong, but Obreht has such a beautiful, lyrical way of writing that certain passages took my breath away and all but begged to be re-read and pored over.
I also couldn’t help but fall in love with Lurie and Nora. Call them “unlikeable” all you want, but I found Lurie oftentimes hilarious and Nora was so relatable that she became almost dear to me. Both of them, but especially Nora, were the types of characters that will travel with me, even though I ended this book days ago. I knew, at some point, that their stories would connect, which, besides the gorgeous writing and the character themselves, was what kept driving me to turn the pages. And when they did, my goodness, let me tell you–that ending was stunning. I think I held my breath for the final three pages.
Inland is very much a love-it-or-hate-it book (as evidenced during my local B&N book club meeting last night). For some, the magical realism and the open (or is it?) ending work. For others, they don’t. I’m not often a fan of endings that lack definitive answers. Here? I loved it. I feel like I could go on and on and ruminate about this book forever. My thoughts are still constantly churning about this one. (Have I talked about memory as a driving force for Lurie and Nora? No? I’ll shut up now. But seriously, if you’ve read this, message me.)
All I’m trying to say is that this is literature, at its finest. Books such as this one are why I love to read–I want to think and I want to discuss my thoughts. Reading doesn’t always look like this for me, but when it does, I know that that book is special. Inland is one of the special ones. All I can say (read: highly recommend) is to try it.
Jessika Reads 