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There are currently 21 member reviews
for Homestead
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Amy A. (Buffalo, NY)
Buying another copy!
I was over 100 pages into this book and then lost it. I am truly heartbroken!
I was so quickly drawn into this story. The author had an amazing ability to describe the reality and hardships of 1950s Alaska. The characters had so much depth that I cried with and for Marie.
I don't want to read any other reviews because I don't want spoiler alerts, but I can't wait to finish this book.
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Jackie R. (Clark, NJ)
A Great Debut
The subject of the book homesteading in Alaska in the 1950s had my interest. This is a well written debut about courage, endurance, and knowing your limits and strengths as well as discovering your partner 's. Marie and Lawrence build a life and a history together in the wilds of Alaska. This is a great read for a book club!
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Susan W. (Berkley, MI)
Homestead: an Alaskan Love Story
Simply put, this novel is about homesteading in the territory of Alaska in 1956. But it is really more than that. It is a surprisingly sensitive story about human nature, change, lies, and trust. Through the characters Lawrence and Marie, their families, and other lesser characters, the reader feels the urgency of homesteaders' lives. I appreciated the author's economy of words in the short chapters and constantly changing voice in the narratives. Her style worked for me.
This passage stuck with me: "Why gain light if only to lose the light? Worse than not having is the having and the taking away. Not having, there is the want and waiting of having." Then it continues, "We want everything because we got nothing."
I am haunted by these characters. In a good way.
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Gary R. (Bolingbrook, IL)
150 acres!
I found this to be a really enjoyable read. Set in Alaska in the 1950s from an American territory to statehood, this is the story of one man, Lawrence, trying to make a home for himself, and one woman from Texas who is visiting her sister and brother-in-law and happens to fall for Lawrence. The trials and joys of living life in the wilds follows. A very good read, thanks to bookbrowse and the publisher for the copy, I'll be looking forward to more from the author.
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Barbara B. (Evansville, IN)
Lessons Learned in Marriage
Lawrence and Marie Beringer bit off more than they could chew when they married less than a month after they met in Alaska,1956. It was a marriage built on infatuation and physical attraction. They had many lessons to learn while they lived in an old bus and slowly cleared 150 acres of land near Matanuska Valley and Pioneer Peak over a period of two years. They were homesteaders who barely knew one another.
Each chapter of the book is a monthly chronicle of their marriage building and property construction. The author's prose detail their emotions through thick and thin with astute and fresh writing. The characters have hidden feelings, sometimes allowing lies to mask their daily lives. It's wonderful to read such an original work of fiction.
I am so pleased that Book Browse allowed me to read this novel about homesteading in Alaska. My own grandfather homesteaded in the 1930's with The Matanuska Colony project, now Palmer Alaska. It was a rough life for the Hermon's, but they remain in the Palmer area to this day.
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Amy E. (Delaware, OH)
HOMESTEAD
Set in the beautiful wilderness of the Alaskan Territory in the 50's HOMESTEAD draws the reader not only into the land, but also the lives of Marie and Lawrence. Ms. Moustakis sets the scene with her words as well as her writing style. The characters are well developed and it is easy to understand their motivation in homesteading as well as the problems they face personally and from the land.
It was a very interesting read for me as my husband's cousin and her husband had homesteaded in Alaska in the mid sixties, but they had the advantage of being a little older, in a solid marriage and skilled as artists and teachers. Even for them it was not always easy.
The author leads the reader to believe that Marie and Lawrence will work out their problems and be successful.
A good read!
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Pamela C. (Boxborough, MA)
Homesteading in the Big Spaces of Alaska
I loved this book! It gave me an inside look at homesteading in the 50's in Alaska. Marie, a Texan, travels to Alaska to visit her sister . Her goal is to meet a man who will provide for her. She does that quickly. Lawrence too is looking for a partner in life who he can establish a homestead with. They want the same things :land and a family. Over time they create their home on 150 acres. The building of their cabin and getting settled while living in a bus is made even more challenging by an unexpected pregnancy and miscarriage. Their relationship is at times a bit rocky and when the next baby comes along, she is both a blessing and a curse. She has colic and cries for months so no one sleeps much and they each question their life choices. There is so much to love about this book... full of stories of wildlife encounters and connecting with nature, Lawrence and Marie's marriage, and the hard work they both put in to establishing themselves in the wild, and with each other in their marriage. Beautifully written!
