Devotion
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- Create Date：2021-10-22 04:51:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Hannah Kent
- ISBN：1760556459
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Summary
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。
This long-awaited novel demonstrates Hannah Kent's sublime ability with language that creates an immersive， transformative experience for the reader。 Devotion is a book to savour。
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。
This long-awaited novel demonstrates Hannah Kent's sublime ability with language that creates an immersive， transformative experience for the reader。 Devotion is a book to savour。
Reviews
Louise
，
This book made me overly emotional。Heartbreaking at times at others hopeful and happy。It brought an actual tear to my eye，and that's a great recommendation as far as I'm concerned。I believe its now my favourite book by this author。 This book made me overly emotional。Heartbreaking at times at others hopeful and happy。It brought an actual tear to my eye，and that's a great recommendation as far as I'm concerned。I believe its now my favourite book by this author。 。。。more
Phrynne
，
Devotion opens in a village in Prussia in 1836 where fellow members of the Old Lutheran church have collected together in order to worship secretly in a country where their religion has been banned。 When they are given the opportunity to emigrate to Australia many of the families pack their meagre possessions and leave。The ship they board is heavily overloaded and the cramped conditions in which they spend the next six months are described perfectly。 The author has researched an actual voyage an Devotion opens in a village in Prussia in 1836 where fellow members of the Old Lutheran church have collected together in order to worship secretly in a country where their religion has been banned。 When they are given the opportunity to emigrate to Australia many of the families pack their meagre possessions and leave。The ship they board is heavily overloaded and the cramped conditions in which they spend the next six months are described perfectly。 The author has researched an actual voyage and delivers real facts in her usual beautiful prose。 This section of the book is fascinating。 The story follows teenage Hanne and her close friend Thea and revolves around their relationship and love。 During the course of the voyage they manage to spend a lot of time together but it is apparent even to them that their love does not have a future in their world。 I began to wonder how the author was going to deal with this but she makes a very bold move which I did not see coming。At this point the whole tone of the book changes and it will depend on each reader's personal preferences whether they enjoy it or not。 Suffice it to say that there is a satisfying conclusion to this intriguing and memorable storyMy thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Marianne
，
Devotion is the third novel by best-selling award-winning Australian author， Hannah Kent。 Hanne Nussbaum is almost fifteen when the Eichenwald family join their Old Lutheran community in the Prussian village of Kay。 Hanne is friendless， connecting better with the sky and the trees， the river and the stars， than people， her twin brother Matthias the only one who understands her even a bit。“Even as a young child I had felt that girls forsook on whim and offered only inconstant friendship。 Allegian Devotion is the third novel by best-selling award-winning Australian author， Hannah Kent。 Hanne Nussbaum is almost fifteen when the Eichenwald family join their Old Lutheran community in the Prussian village of Kay。 Hanne is friendless， connecting better with the sky and the trees， the river and the stars， than people， her twin brother Matthias the only one who understands her even a bit。“Even as a young child I had felt that girls forsook on whim and offered only inconstant friendship。 Allegiances seemed to shift from day to day like sandbanks in a riverbed and， inevitably， I found myself run aground。 Better to befriend a blanket of moss， the slip-quick of fish dart。 Never was the love I poured into the river refused。”But Anna Maria Eichenwald seems to see her， to understand her instantly。 When Hanne encounters Anna Maria’s daughter， Thea for the first time in her beloved forest， there’s none of the scorn the other village girls aim at her。 Instead， Thea offers acceptance and interest。 They quickly become close， trying to be together at every opportunity。 Their community， having rejected the King’s union of the Protestant Churches， has to worship in secret; their pastor has fled， their church， bell removed， is locked by soldiers。 The chance to leave， to emigrate to another land， a place where they will not be persecuted， is welcomed by the elders， but Hanne fears it will tear her from Thea: will the Eichenwalds join them？ After an emotional leave-taking， a tiring journey to the port and delays， some two hundred souls finally cram into a ship with eighty berths for a six-month journey to South Australia。 Crowded together， with less than optimum nutrition and water from tainted barrels， illness inevitably strikes， and a reduced number arrives at their longed-for paradise， the place they will build， Heiligendorf， their joy tempered by grief。Years later Hanne shares what she saw， heard， took part in: “I have described what has happened to me， and what I felt， and what I continue to feel。 Gathered up and thrown on the wind to be wound on the air。 To stir leaves and gutter candles and fill the sails of ships。 I am unthreaded of it。 I am the empty eye of the needle。”Once again， Kent gives the reader a masterpiece， a tale of love and grief and steadfastness。 She describes a community persecuted for their beliefs， but who， when free to follow those beliefs， display less tolerance than might be hoped。 The depth of her research into so many aspects of the lives of such a community is apparent on every page。 Emotions are expertly rendered。Her prose is often exquisite， poetic: “The wings drew closer， beating against the sky。 Rippling it。 Cut the light with feathered knives” and “I had felt affirmation in my bones and blood and the wick of my soul had caught flame， had burned bright” and “And the birds， ever here， ever singing， a liturgy to govern the hours towards gods of cry and shriek and call。 Kookaburra， magpie， shrike-thrush， wagtail。 Currawong， crow， boobook。 Scripture may no longer roll off my tongue in smooth certainty， but my mouth is still full of spirit。 Holy Writ of living things， each one a prayer against the teeth” are examples。Hanne’s description of aboriginal dance: “The Peramangk were the first people I ever saw dancing… The music was unlike anything I had heard before。 It threaded itself under my skin until I felt sewn through with sound， and then it pulled me to its source… the beauty and urgency of their movement was everything I had imagined dancing might be， their bodies shaped and held by a music that was closer to the sound I heard coming from the earth than any hymn of my homeland。” This is an absolute pleasure to read。This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Australia。 。。。more
Calzean
，
The author seems to have a thing with young women living in a society with strict religious constraints， unrequited love and some sort of supernatural element。In her third book she follows Hanne， a member of a persecuted Lutheran sect who emigrate to South Australia。 The first half of the book covers life in Prussia， the pressure on the farming sect to adapt， their freedom to emigrate and details of a most unpleasant journey by ship。 The descriptions of the life of the settlers onboard was one o The author seems to have a thing with young women living in a society with strict religious constraints， unrequited love and some sort of supernatural element。In her third book she follows Hanne， a member of a persecuted Lutheran sect who emigrate to South Australia。 The first half of the book covers life in Prussia， the pressure on the farming sect to adapt， their freedom to emigrate and details of a most unpleasant journey by ship。 The descriptions of the life of the settlers onboard was one of the best I have read on their conditions and challenges to survive the weather， cramp conditions， poor food and rotten water they were given。The second half lost me with a ghost now the narrator。 Pity because the writing throughout was always descriptive and the emotions of the young women very realistic。 。。。more
Carolyn
，
Fifteen year old Hanne lives with her parents and brother Matthias in a small village in Prussia in 1836。 Their old Lutheran religion has been banned by the King in an attempt to unify the protestant churches， but they continue to worship in secret。 Hanne is a girl who loves nothing better than being surrounded by nature， a plain looking girl with no real friends， she has trouble looking forward to the future of marriage and children that her community expects of all its young girls。 However， wh Fifteen year old Hanne lives with her parents and brother Matthias in a small village in Prussia in 1836。 Their old Lutheran religion has been banned by the King in an attempt to unify the protestant churches， but they continue to worship in secret。 Hanne is a girl who loves nothing better than being surrounded by nature， a plain looking girl with no real friends， she has trouble looking forward to the future of marriage and children that her community expects of all its young girls。 However， when a new family moves to the village， Hanne is immediately drawn to their daughter Thea and a deep friendship and love develops between them。 In 1838， the Lutherans are given permission to emigrate to South Australia where they will be free to worship as they please。 They embark on the long journey to Hamburg where they board a ship to take them to their new home。 Their journey on board the Kristi is based on the real voyage of the Zebra （under the command of Captain Hahn who helped them buy land in the Barossa and for whom Hahndorf was named）。 With 199 people on board the ship and only 80 berths， the ship was horribly overcrowded and soon typhus became rampant， killing some on board。 It’s at this point in the novel that the story takes an unexpected turn that will affect both Hanne and Thea’s future in the new colony。I really enjoy historical fiction based on real events， especially when I learn something new and especially when the author has done their research as meticulously as Hannah Kent。 Her descriptions of the hardships these people took in their journey are vividly recreated with a real sense of time and place， from the suppression of their religion in Prussia to their six-month nightmare journey in a cramped， airless ship to their indomitable spirit in building a new life from the ground up in a strange country on the other side of the world。 Kent’s writing is always beautiful with a poetic feel to it， particularly when she is describing the natural world that Hanne connects with so readily。 Hanne’s love for Thea is at the heart of the novel， but also her love for her family and her community。 Overall， a powerful and moving novel that will continue to resonate with me for some time。 4。5★With many thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia and Netgalley for a copy to read 。。。more
Andrea
，
Hannah Kent's eagerly awaited third novel was a difficult one for me to rate。 My reading experience， out of 5， was something like 4-6！-3-5， so now that I've sat with it for a few days I think a solid 4/5 is a good reflection of how I feel about it。 It has everything I've come to know and love about Kent's storytelling， plus a little something extra and unexpected。 At face value， the story is irresistibly promising; a small Prussian village of Old Lutherans who have to practice their religion in Hannah Kent's eagerly awaited third novel was a difficult one for me to rate。 My reading experience， out of 5， was something like 4-6！-3-5， so now that I've sat with it for a few days I think a solid 4/5 is a good reflection of how I feel about it。 It has everything I've come to know and love about Kent's storytelling， plus a little something extra and unexpected。 At face value， the story is irresistibly promising; a small Prussian village of Old Lutherans who have to practice their religion in secret， have the chance to settle in the emerging colony of South Australia， where they will be free to worship without fear of persecution。 It delivers on that promise with a lengthy and difficult sea-voyage （based on the historic voyage of the Zebra in 1838）， followed by the establishment of a new German-speaking settlement at Heiligendorf in the Adelaide Hills （inspired by the settlement of villages like Hahndorf in that area）。 Characterwise， we get a main family that includes twins， an outsider who joins the close-enough-to-closed community via marriage， and who inevitably attracts suspicion for her 'otherness'， plus a few villagers who really struggle to accept change and difference， and make a bit of trouble。 But the heart of the story belongs to two teenage girls who meet and form the most devoted of bonds - a bond that can withstand the greatest challenge imaginable。The book is literally in 3 parts （Before， After， Now）， as is the story （Prussia， Ship， South Australia）， but they don't quite match up。 That's as far as I'll go towards describing an event that sets this story apart。 Just when we think Kent is doing what she has done before， and does very well， she introduces a daring new element。 At first I was thrilled， then a little perplexed as I began to understand how this element would manifest， and finally I got it - I absolutely got it， and felt thankful that Kent was able to so cleverly bring together such a tender and touching end to the story。I think established fans will not be disappointed， and it's likely Kent's fanbase will grow even larger to reward the risks that have been taken with this book。With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Australia for an advance copy to read and review。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Hannah Kent is quite possibly the most talented writer of our time。 I’ve always loved Coleridge’s definition of prose being words in their best order， but poetry being the best words in their best order。 Although Devotion appears to be prose， by this definition it is poetry。 Kent has a way with words that is uniquely beautiful and soul-touching。 In 19th century Prussia， Hanne has never felt she fully belongs。 A child of nature， attuned to beauty in a way her Old Lutheran community will never und Hannah Kent is quite possibly the most talented writer of our time。 I’ve always loved Coleridge’s definition of prose being words in their best order， but poetry being the best words in their best order。 Although Devotion appears to be prose， by this definition it is poetry。 Kent has a way with words that is uniquely beautiful and soul-touching。 In 19th century Prussia， Hanne has never felt she fully belongs。 A child of nature， attuned to beauty in a way her Old Lutheran community will never understand， 15 year old Hanne is not ready to become an adult， marry and have children。 She meets Thea， a kindred spirit， and discovers love in various forms。 The community migrates to Australia for religious freedom， but six months at sea will mean not everyone makes it to Adelaide alive and well。 This book is actually difficult for me to review as I loved the writing immensely， but aspects of the story did not work for me。 The blurb made it quite clear that， as a consequence of something that happens at sea， Thea and Hanne will not be able to be together。 I was of course unsurprised this would happen given the historical and religious context， but I did not expect the actual reason and the way the novel would deal with it。 In fact， I was quite confused for a while in the second part of the book when I assumed I was reading about a fever dream， then realised I was not。 From a lesser writer， I might have stopped reading， but when Kent works magic with her words you are compelled to read on。 This book is indeed an exquisite tragedy。 。。。more
Jessica Paul
，
An enchanting read which transports you back in time。 The characters and scenery are so vivid that I found myself instantly sucked into Hanne and Thea’s lives。 I haven’t read anything like this in a very long time。 If you’re not into flowery language or reading for the journey this is not for you。 It's an immersive experience to be savoured。 I found the boundless descriptions of nature too much and I think， although exquisitely written， would have been more powerful if moderated。 This book is on An enchanting read which transports you back in time。 The characters and scenery are so vivid that I found myself instantly sucked into Hanne and Thea’s lives。 I haven’t read anything like this in a very long time。 If you’re not into flowery language or reading for the journey this is not for you。 It's an immersive experience to be savoured。 I found the boundless descriptions of nature too much and I think， although exquisitely written， would have been more powerful if moderated。 This book is one long love song， which will strike a deep chord with any star-crossed lover。 。。。more
Angelique Simonsen
，
This one is so different from her normal books that I struggled but it's a good read all in all This one is so different from her normal books that I struggled but it's a good read all in all 。。。more
charlotte，
，
my life is ruinedRep: lesbian mc， lesbian li
Chantal Lyons
，
I debated for ages whether to give this 3 or 4 stars， and I would give 3。5 if I could。 I loved Kent's first book 'Burial Rites' and， while her second book 'The Good People' didn't captivate me quite as much， both had powerful narrative drives with a mystery at the heart of them。 'Devotion' is a very different kind of book， without a mystery， but what disappointed me was that the plot felt completely in service to the prose。 The book came to 430 pages on my e-reader and could easily have been 100 I debated for ages whether to give this 3 or 4 stars， and I would give 3。5 if I could。 I loved Kent's first book 'Burial Rites' and， while her second book 'The Good People' didn't captivate me quite as much， both had powerful narrative drives with a mystery at the heart of them。 'Devotion' is a very different kind of book， without a mystery， but what disappointed me was that the plot felt completely in service to the prose。 The book came to 430 pages on my e-reader and could easily have been 100 pages shorter by cutting down on repetitive writing and the interludes in the narrator's present day which add nothing to the story （with the exception of the scene with the two men in the cabin， but that could've been folded into the main narrative）。 While Kent's prose is undoubtedly beautiful， it also felt cluttered here。That aside， the reason I've gone for 4 rather than 3 stars is the tender and poignant portrayal of the relationships between Hanne and other characters - not just her love， Thea， but also her brother， her father， her mother， and her friend Hans。 This is where the book's heart lies， not in how many times the author could weave the word "song" into artistic sentences。 The unfolding of the story surprised me in a good way。 However， the climax is oddly very similar to that in The Lovely Bones， and I'll be interested to see how many other readers pick up on that too。To conclude - readers who prefer language over story will love this book the most。（With thanks to Picador and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review） 。。。more
fatma
，
a beating heart of a novel。 absolutely arresting in its beauty， everything in it so very vital， keenly and viscerally felt。 and hannah kent's words are pure poetry; her writing exists on another plane entirely。 the world she is able to conjure up here feels so capacious: seeds and trees and forests， lakes and oceans， birds and whales， time and life and love and song。 everything in this novel just hums。 it's a novel that struck such a deep chord with me， and i loved it so very much。 a beating heart of a novel。 absolutely arresting in its beauty， everything in it so very vital， keenly and viscerally felt。 and hannah kent's words are pure poetry; her writing exists on another plane entirely。 the world she is able to conjure up here feels so capacious: seeds and trees and forests， lakes and oceans， birds and whales， time and life and love and song。 everything in this novel just hums。 it's a novel that struck such a deep chord with me， and i loved it so very much。 。。。more
Bianca （Belladonnabooks）
，
“And then I was the tree。 Rivers of sap rolled through us; I could feel everything we were and everything we would be。 Leaves not yet unfurled， blossom capped in gumnut， roots needling moisture from the soil。 We were everything that had passed， and we were what would come， the waited-for。”Hannah Kent once again wows us with her ability to craft a story that is just as powerful as it is poetic。 Hannah Kent is quite frankly an auto buy author for me now。 She has proved herself without a shadow of “And then I was the tree。 Rivers of sap rolled through us; I could feel everything we were and everything we would be。 Leaves not yet unfurled， blossom capped in gumnut， roots needling moisture from the soil。 We were everything that had passed， and we were what would come， the waited-for。”Hannah Kent once again wows us with her ability to craft a story that is just as powerful as it is poetic。 Hannah Kent is quite frankly an auto buy author for me now。 She has proved herself without a shadow of a doubt。 Devotion feels quite special due to its exploration of queerness and identity which Hannah pre-faces herself as a gift to her younger， queer yet closeted self。 These issues are explored through a historical lens which readers have come to expect from previous works。 Devotion burns along slowly but surely， following the poignant friendship and love that develops between two girls in a village。 Their love is all-consuming and breathtaking。 Being witness to it felt incredibly special。 I feel enamoured throughout the entire story。 Hannah does a brilliant job as per usual of creating a vivid sense of time and place。 The struggles and hardships of life in the nineteenth century for a person traveling to Australia were well documented。 Overall， this is a story about relationships and is very character driven。 An emotional read that will stay with me for quite some time after finishing。I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you Pan Macmillan for this opportunity。 。。。more
Suzie Bull
，
Hannah Kent has written another successful book， very reminiscent of themes from her other books， but once again beautifully told。 She has this essence of slow burn in her writing and is able to masterfully create a sense of place and time。 It is the story of a girl in the Prussian Lutheran community， about to embark on a move to Australia， and the all consuming friendship and love she has for a new girl in the village。 Quite poetic， it is a book which draws you in and will stay with you long af Hannah Kent has written another successful book， very reminiscent of themes from her other books， but once again beautifully told。 She has this essence of slow burn in her writing and is able to masterfully create a sense of place and time。 It is the story of a girl in the Prussian Lutheran community， about to embark on a move to Australia， and the all consuming friendship and love she has for a new girl in the village。 Quite poetic， it is a book which draws you in and will stay with you long after your finish it。 。。。more
Allyce Cameron
，
”Love runs through her like a seam of gold。 It runs through me， too， and we are illuminated。”I wanted to like this more than I did， in the end。 The writing was， as I’ve come to expect from everything that Hannah Kent writes， exquisite， and yet I didn’t feel as connected to the book as I was hoping。 I definitely enjoyed the first half more than the second， I think some of the descriptions were a tad overlong and could have been pared back。 I am the first to admit however that I’m not super in tou ”Love runs through her like a seam of gold。 It runs through me， too， and we are illuminated。”I wanted to like this more than I did， in the end。 The writing was， as I’ve come to expect from everything that Hannah Kent writes， exquisite， and yet I didn’t feel as connected to the book as I was hoping。 I definitely enjoyed the first half more than the second， I think some of the descriptions were a tad overlong and could have been pared back。 I am the first to admit however that I’m not super in touch with nature and/or religion so maybe other readers will really enjoy these aspects。 I still eagerly await anything Hannah Kent decides to write in future， she has such a beautiful way with language。 。。。more
Susie Anderson
，
For anyone who went to German camp in the Adelaide Hills during school or has since stumbled upon Hahndorf etc， this book peels back some of the layers of those areas。 From that historical starting place， it veers off and tries to do a great many other things which I will wait to talk about at length。 On the whole I was enraptured with the deftly woven prose speaking lyrically of connections that move across time， memory， people and place。
Anastasia
，
How to preorder in Canada？！ Someone please tell me if you know！PLS 😢NEED NEW HANNAHKENT BOOK ASAP
Imi
，
This was announced literally 30 minutes ago and I'm already counting down the days until 3 February。 This was announced literally 30 minutes ago and I'm already counting down the days until 3 February。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Devotion
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Devotion&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Devotion&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0