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Devotion

By Hannah Kent
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set against the backdrop of Prussia in 1836 and the voyage to South Australia in 1838, Devotion tells the story of Hanne Nussbaum, a wild child who defies the strictures of her time. Marked as an oddity in her village, her life changes when she meets Thea, forming a profound bond of love amidst persecution and hardship. Facing the rigid demands of faith, society, and nature, their love endures as a radical act of devotion in a world determined to keep them apart.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers who appreciate literary fiction with richly crafted prose and historical settings. Those interested in stories of love, identity, and resilience in the face of persecution will find this novel deeply moving. Suitable for fans of evocative narratives that celebrate nature and radical devotion.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

BOOKTOPIA'S FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2021

Prussia, 1836

Hanne Nussbaum is a child of nature - she would rather run wild in the forest than conform to the limitations of womanhood. In her village of Kay, Hanne is friendless and considered an oddity... until she meets Thea.

Ocean, 1838

The Nussbaums are Old Lutherans, bound by God's law and at odds with their King's order for reform. Forced to flee religious persecution, the families of Kay board a crowded, disease-riddled ship bound for the new colony of South Australia. In the face of brutal hardship, the beauty of whale song enters Hanne's heart, along with the miracle of her love for Thea. Theirs is a bond that nothing can break.

The whale passed. The music faded.

South Australia, 1838

A new start in an old land. God, society and nature itself decree Hanne and Thea cannot be together. But within the impossible... is devotion.

WINNER FOR THE ABIA AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR 2022
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS FICTION 2022
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA LITERARY FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022
SHORTLISTED FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S LITERARY AWARDS FICTION 2022
LONGLISTED FOR THE AUSTRALIAN BOOK DESIGN AWARDS 2022 BEST DESIGNED LITERARY FICTION COVER
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 VOSS LITERARY PRIZE

Praise for Devotion

'Devotion is utterly original. A glorious, heartbreaking love story of infinite beauty.' - Heather Rose

'Hannah Kent's latest novel is stunning - full of magic and adventure. I fell in love with language again reading it. So beautiful and so raw. Devotion is impossibly good.' - Evie Wyld

'Such a glorious love story. And the poetry of the landscape had, for me, a Whitmanesque sensibility. A mighty impassioned cry to love and the land.' - Sarah Winman

'Devotion is rare and exquisite, both beautiful and muscular in its portrayal of love found and denied. It's a story of love as a radical act, and a celebration of place and persistence. As we've come to expect from Kent, this is masterful storytelling with pull-no-punches stakes. It's taken root in my heart.' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave

'I absolutely love this book. Hannah Kent writes some of the most transcendently beautiful prose I've ever read.' - Magda Szubanski

'Devotion is a rich, often surprising novel, written with the sort of prosody poets like me are always seeking.' - The Conversation

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised for its original and heartbreaking love story, Devotion is lauded for its beautiful, raw prose and vivid sense of place. Critics highlight the novel's poetic qualities and masterful storytelling that fiercely explores themes of love, persistence, and identity. It has garnered acclaim for being both exquisite and powerful in its portrayal of love's defiance against societal constraints.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781760556457

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 October 2021

Country: Australia

Imprint: Picador Australia

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 35.0mm

Width: 159.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 549g

Pages: 432

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Hannah Kent Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

About the Author

Hannah Kent's first novel, the multi award winning international bestseller, Burial Rites, was translated into over 30 languages and is being adapted for film. Her second novel, The Good People was translated into 10 languages, nominated for numerous awards and is also being adapted for film. Devotion, her third novel, published in 2021, won Booktopia's Favourite Australian Book, and was shortlisted for multiple industry awards. Her original feature film, Run Rabbit Run, was directed by Daina Reid and starred Sarah Snook. Hannah is also the co-founder of Kill Your Darlings, and has written for The New York Times, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, Meanjin, Qantas Magazine and LitHub. She lives and works on Peramangk and Kaurna country.

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