Hannah Kent’s latest novel, Devotion, left me breathless. What a superb piece of writing. Its lyrical prose, its lightness of touch with the central love story, and its fascinating historical detail all added to the pleasure of reading this book. I kept telling myself to slow down and savour this writing but once I hit the major turning point of the story, there was no way to stop my compulsive reading. I read for two days straight until I’d finished and then thought about it for weeks afterwards. Read this book!
Devotion begins in a tight-knit German village of persecuted Lutherans. We meet the main character Hanne and her family, the members of her community, and a new family who is regarded with some suspicion in the village but with whom Hanne finds new understanding and acceptance. The daughter, Thea befriends solitary Hanne and so begins the relationship at the centre of the novel.
All these characters become even more important to the story when they are confined together on a ship for a six-month voyage to South Australia. Their flight from the village and the voyage with its rigours and joys culminate with an event which changes the trajectory of the book in a startling way.
It was fascinating to read of the community’s arrival in South Australia and their struggles to support themselves with the help of local Aborigines. Their establishment of an agricultural village in the Adelaide Hills was based on the history of Hahndorf, a town with an enduring German heritage.
While the historical detail was intriguing, Hanne’s activities dominated my interest. I also longed to know what would happen to the other characters who had shared the long and challenging voyage. The ending was unexpected but satisfying, allowing me as a reader enslaved by the tale to leave the world of the Lutheran refugees and return reluctantly to my own life and times.
Hannah Kent’s two earlier novels, Burial Rites and The Good People were both compelling stories but, in my opinion, Devotion is Hannah Kent’s best novel yet.
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