Hard by a Great Forest
Leo Vardiashvili
Amid rubble and rebuilding in a former Soviet land, one family must rescue one another and put the past to a stirring novel about what happens after the fighting is over “My mother stayed, so that we could go. ” Having fled conflict in the former-Soviet Republic of Georgia as children, Saba and his brother have fought to make peace with the past. In particular, they struggle with the sacrifices of a mother who remained in a war zone so that their father could get them out. more
352 pages, Hardcover
First published Riverhead Books
4.04
Rating
596
Ratings
170
Reviews
Leo Vardiashvili
1 books 68 followers
Aspiring novelist and the author of HARD BY A GREAT FOREST - out in the US and UK in 30 January 2024.Represented by Sara O'Keeffe at Aevitas Creative Management UK.
Community reviews
Until a few weeks ago, I didn’t know this book. But when I saw the title, I got intrigued. Then I read the blurb and found out this debut has already been sold to many countries. Suddenly, this novel, full of references to Western books like Brother Grimm fairy tales, and Shakespeare, became one of my most anticipated 2024 reads. Hard by a Great Forest is about Saba, who fled Georgia as a kid with his dad and brother while his mother stayed behind. more
Irakli wrote Kaleidoskupi in the monastery where he took himself after he and Eka divorced. He even brought the dog‑eared handwritten manuscript with him to London. Kept it hidden away in a box, like it was cursed. “I’ll go back there, to all those places I didn’t say goodbye to,” he’d tell us, before each abortive attempt to fly to Tbilisi. “I’ll leave the pages, here and there, like breadcrumbs. more
I'd like to write something more profound than Khaled Hosseini's review of this book but I'll never be that eloquent. All I can say is that it hit me the exact same way. It is funny, it is horrific, it takes your breath away, it leaves you gasping, fighting back tears. The story follows Saba as he returns from an 18 year absence to his home country of Georgia (a place I knew nothing about before this book). Saba is following his brother, Sandro who, in turn, has gone to find their father Irakli. more
Set in post-Soviet Georgia, this book tells a tale of a family separated by war, and a search to reunite. It is a fast- paced story that provides insight into this part of the world, and particularly the ongoing hostilities between Georgia and Ossetia. Embedded within the storyline are references to various fairy tales, and the title is a line from Hansl and Gretl. Protagonist Saba follows a figurative bread crumb trail left for him by his brother in order to find their father. This present-day storyline is set up by the family’s history, including the 1991 flight of three of the four family members (brothers Saba and Sandro, and their father Irakli) to England, while their mother remained behind in Georgia. more
3. 5 rounded up to 4 stars. I loved the uniqueness of this story about a Londoner’s journey home to Georgia to search for his missing father and brother. This debut novel was inspired by Hansel and Gretel and we follow Saba on a “breadcrumb trail” where clues come in the form of graffiti referencing fairy tales and a play written by his father. I loved learning more about Tbilisi's history, but the real magic in this book is the love and longing you can feel in the author's exquisite descriptions of the author's birthplace and its people. more
This started off so promisingly, with a suspenseful plot and language that brought the book to life in my mind. But now, I haven't felt compelled to pick the book up in days. I think the stakes kind of. did an Irish exit somewhere a quarter of the way through. Things are still happening in the novel, but at the present moment, they're not enough to stay under my "currently reading", which I need to KonMari for the sake of sanity. more
The unusual title of this debut novel, Hard by a Great Forest, piqued my interest and the advance praise it received prompted me to request it from Netgalley, and I'm so glad I did. It's my first five star read of the year. "Hard by a Great Forest dwelt a poor woodcutter with his wife and two children" - the opening line of Hansel and Gretel and the fable which inspires this magnificent novel, which is many things all at once - an adventure story, a thriller, a tragi-comedy and a powerful missive on the individual and collective trauma of war. Set in Georgia, the mountainous former Soviet republic and a country repeatedly invaded and plundered for centuries, the book tells the story of Saba, who fled Georgia as a young boy, finding refuge in London with his father Irakli and brother Sandro. His mother Eka was forced to stay behind and all three have been forever haunted by the loss of her. more
This novel, set in post-Soviet Georgia, was so many things: a wonderful portrayal of a country and time that don’t get much space in modern writing; a story of a family and its separation and search; a special connection and language between brothers; a unique thread of fairy tales, very creatively woven through the novel; a fast paced entertaining story (I don’t generally read “thrillers”, but I think there is a little thriller in there, too. ); and excellent writing and humor. The main character, Sabo, and his brother and father flee Georgia for England, leaving behind their much-missed mother. Years later their father goes back for her and disappears - - and his sons then go to Georgia to search for him. Throughout the novel, the reader vividly experiences all aspect of life in Georgia post-Soviet times. more
Saba is sent away from war torn Georgia with his brother and father as a small boy. Given refuge in the UK, his father works hard to care for the boys and earn enough money to pay for his wife to follow them. Years of hardwork are all for naught after the family is ripped off by an unscrupulous middle man and Eka dies before they can save her. Years later, their father returns to Georgia to try and track down the truth of what happened. Sandro, the older brother follows to find his father and now Saba returns to find them both. more
This is a heart-rending story of loss and survival both from personal and national perspectives. This is really well-written immersing the reader completely in the lives of the people of Georgia, displaying their stoicism and bravery incredibly movingly. This story takes so many twists and turns, from humour with strands of craziness to grief which can't fail to move readers. Never predictable the adventure of Saba is astonishing, but it is this journey that releases Saba from survivor guilt to release into reconciliation with his identity and truth. This is a reading experience that will remain with me for a long time. more
A brutal and emotional scavenger hunt through Georgia's turbulent political landscape. The novel follows Saba as he searches for his lost father and brother. Following two sets of breadcrumbs laid by both, Saba's journey takes him to places he'd rather forget and uncovers memories best left undisturbed. I couldn't tear my eyes from the page, Vardiashvili's writing is gripping and fast paced, tearing through the streets of Tblisi to the backdrop of a city (and country) in brutal turmoil, facing off corrupt detectives, escaped tigers and secrets that tore Saba's family apart. more
I actually finished this book earlier but had to wait to digest everything that happened and stop crying before I could write my review. This book was everything I hoped it would be and more. It is the book I've been waiting for. First 5 star of 2024 and I can’t think of a more meaningful start to the year. It comes out end of this month so get your preorders in now. more
gifted by the publisher"They say you can never go home again. But what if you can. What if you should. What if no matter what you do with your life, you'll somehow always end up in that place you didn't want to leave. "After fleeing the conflict in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, Saba Sulidze-Donauri and his family struggle to reconcile the fact that they left their mom behind, unable to get her out. more
I went back & forth between really enjoying this book & being bored by it. Some of it felt very disjointed - going between Irakli's play, voices of Saba's family, & other unknown voices. The zoo animals was an interesting addition & I really enjoyed Nodar. Overall, I feel it's me, not the book, that's missing something. That being said - it was just ok. more
5. 0Wow. An incredible book. Beautiful and haunting, a punch to the heart. A seriously impressive debut. more
Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing for gifting me a physical copy in exchange for an honest review. Insightful, emotional and thought-provoking. A debut about hope, heartbreak, death, grief, love, and having trust in yourself. We follow the story of Saba Sullidze-Donauri - a boy who escaped Georgia with his dad and brother when he was young. A man now, he doesn’t want anything to do with his homeland but has no choice when his dad goes missing and his brother goes looking for him. more
This book kicked me in the stomach, demolished me and left me curled up by the side of the road. Easily one of the top 10 I've ever read. Very difficult, upsetting and graphically violent in places, hard to read. Still, I literally couldn't put it down. Stayed up much to late to read the last several chapters because I couldn't go to sleep until I knew if Saba, his brother, father, and his newly adopted family would be ok. more
Why is this book not more popular already. "Hard by a Great Forest" is my first 5-star read of 2024 and I don't give 5-star ratings too often. What I loved most about the book was the exquisitely beautiful prose. I loved the numerous references to fairy-tales, folklore, and classic literature. The storyline is both compelling, exploring themes of home, family, war, and loss permeating through an atmosphere of magical realism. more
This is another book that I wouldn't have gotten through if I hadn't listened to it on audio. A overall good read that was brought to life by the spoken word. more
How I enjoyed this beguiling bread crumb trail through a country I only knew previously as the home of a golden fleece in mythology. Sounds like it should have been known for its golden wine instead. The story begins with a mad dash, travels through the heightened tension of a police state, ascends to mountains with a mystical fog, thereafter entering hell, all in the space of about 300 pages. Memorable were the expressions - hummingbird milk, a guest is a gift from God, hunger is the best sauce, the cockroach hanging itself, it's bad luck to stand in doorways. The scene in the hospital with the entire village visiting one sick person reminded me of the American University Hospital I saw in the 70s, the crazy hospital elevator with no doors, the indestructible metal Soviet fridge, the indestructible village pechka stove, and the headstones not in rows and with no names. more
A unique, magical, eerie and violent debut novel set in and around Tbilisi, Georgia, HARD BY A GREAT FOREST sets out immediately preparing the reader for action. A family, escaped from Tbilisi in wartime, has slowly dwindled apart, each trying to get back home in different ways. As in a fairy tale, the novel’s main character Saba follows a trail of clues left by his brother to lead him deep into his war torn home country to his father, Irakli. The novel is filled with dynamic characters, plenty of action and gunshots, gorgeous mossy wooded scenery. The plot cranks tight as the stakes continue to be raised as Saba, haunted by ghosts of his past, uncovering family secrets as he follows clues into his childhood. more
4. 5. Extremely compelling, could not put down. A fast read somehow. Very different, part story telling: clues given from Grimms Fairy Tales and Shakespeare, part voices from the main character’ s past guiding the trail of breadcrumbs in search of his father. more
How much do you know about post Soviet Georgia. Refugee Saba returns to find his brother and father. Nodor befriends him on a search of his own. The effects of war are heartbreaking and difficult to read. Nodor is the friend we all wish we had. more
Cleverly written, using the Hansel and Gretel fairytale to “reveal the breadcrumbs. ” One brother is trying to find his brother after he disappeared while trying to find their father. It is a grim story. more
Wow wat een boek. Ondanks het akelige onderwerp heel spannend geschreven. Ik heb het geluisterd. Goed voor gelezen. Daar waar regimes heersen worden belevenissen vertelt via sprookjes, verhalen wat het juist des te indringend maken. more
To be completely honest, I read this book because Tbilisi was on the cover and I love that city. And I'm so glad I did. This was a unique story of a man returning to his lost homeland to find his lost family. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed the Soviet folklore woven throughout the story. I honestly could have used more, but I also think not dragging the story on too long helped make it more powerful. more
This was outstanding - a haunting and beautiful debut. I've never read anything set in Georgia and following Saba on his journey was a compelling way to learn more about the country, its people and its history. The characters are so richly realized and I won't stop thinking about them for a while. more
Best book of the year so far, by a mile (only no 5, but still…). Tells the heart breaking story of former soviet republic Georgia, and break away Ossetia, through humour magic and humanity. Loved it. more
I thought this was a wonderful read, it was a gripping story with fantastic descriptions of Georgia. more
Ik heb deze in het Nederlands gelezen, maar die versie is nog niet uit. Wat een prachtig en hartverscheurend verhaal met een pakkende, fijne schrijfstijl. Het gaat over Saba, die tijdens de burgeroorlog in Georgië samen met zijn broer en vader is gevlucht naar Engeland. Hun moeder bleef achter. Na 20 jaar gaat hun vader terug naar Georgië, maar hij raakt vermist. more