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Hiraeth
Twelve-year-old Larkin is obsessed with unravelling the whereabouts of his absent father, a sailor he knows next to nothing about. His mother remains infuriatingly vague on the matter. Can he trust the charismatic stranger that has come into his life?
Fifty years later, Harriet’s beloved aunt dies, passing on to her niece a bird cage and the urgent request never to open it.
Then the voices start.
When her family puts her in a mental institution, Harriet is determined to prove her sanity. Little does she know that she’s been expected there…
Set on the Atlantic coast of Scotland at the turn of the twentieth century, Hiraeth explores the nature of memories and the organic bonds they weave between souls.
Fifty years later, Harriet’s beloved aunt dies, passing on to her niece a bird cage and the urgent request never to open it.
Then the voices start.
When her family puts her in a mental institution, Harriet is determined to prove her sanity. Little does she know that she’s been expected there…
Set on the Atlantic coast of Scotland at the turn of the twentieth century, Hiraeth explores the nature of memories and the organic bonds they weave between souls.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2020
2 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Sabina Lungeanu
5 books10 followersSabina Lungeanu writes dark fiction and the occasional poem thrown in for good measure. Her work has been shortlisted for the Daniil Pashkoff Prize 2018 and has appeared in various anthologies. Her debut novel, "Hiraeth," a gothic thriller set in Victorian Scotland, was published in 2020. She owes much of her writing to her patron goddess, Lady Caffeine. At night, she defies the light-polluted urban skies and goes planet hunting with her telescope. Her second novel, "In the Shadow of the Kogaionon," explores the myths of ancient Dacia. Find out more at: Instagram @sabina.scribbles.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 27, 2021
Hauntingly beautiful
This novel is a spine-chilling story that reveals the essence of life, love and loneliness. The writing style was beautiful and caught me from the beginning. I was hooked with all the different facettes of the characters (I’m still swooning over Larkin). The author has a wonderful way of describing feelings and thoughts. I couldn’t help myself but feeling drawn in the setting and surrounding immediately.
You may have noticed, that English isn’t my mother tongue, but the style, as beautifully complex as it was, is an easy read for everybody who had normal school English. So don’t be afraid if you’re not a native speaker!
5 stars for this great book. I hope I hear more from this author!
This novel is a spine-chilling story that reveals the essence of life, love and loneliness. The writing style was beautiful and caught me from the beginning. I was hooked with all the different facettes of the characters (I’m still swooning over Larkin). The author has a wonderful way of describing feelings and thoughts. I couldn’t help myself but feeling drawn in the setting and surrounding immediately.
You may have noticed, that English isn’t my mother tongue, but the style, as beautifully complex as it was, is an easy read for everybody who had normal school English. So don’t be afraid if you’re not a native speaker!
5 stars for this great book. I hope I hear more from this author!
July 19, 2020
This wonderfully poetic gothic novel starts off with the story of well-hidden madness and all-consuming flames. Only those meant to find their way to Merriver actually end up there, and Warren, the man with whom this story begins, definitely needs to spend some time in Merriver with its ‘slate-grey turrets [that] impale the leaden sky’ and its decaying masonry covered in creeping ivy.
However, Warren, haunted by his demons and ghosts from his past, is but the trigger, the catalyst for the actual event that this novel is about. Death is the great equalizer, it is always there, lurking in some corner of the room, sitting in the backseat, floating on the surface of the waves, waiting patiently. Philosophy and theology overflow with questions and possible explanations of the desire to know what happens after death, where we go if we do go anywhere, and if there is a thread or a chain that could tether us to this world. The yearning for immortality is one of the reasons why artists create - in order to leave something behind, a part of themselves that would render them immortal. However, a more common response to where we truly reside after we are gone is in the memories of the people that we leave behind. This is the truth that Larkin, the novel’s protagonist, will discover when he finds himself unable to leave this world and move on.
The novel is filled with contrasts - life and death, fire and water, sanity and madness - that leave the reader entangled, curious, excited, and eventually, suspicious. I enjoyed the vivid and poetic depictions of the settings, the vibrant dialogues, the accents and the turns of phrase that made the characters practically audible in one’s mind. The epilogue functions as a metafictional device that casts a dark shadow over the entire narrative making us question the nature of the story, the truthfulness of the memories, the sanity of the narrator. Hiraeth is a truly exciting novel for the lovers of the subtle macabre and the mysterious darkness.
However, Warren, haunted by his demons and ghosts from his past, is but the trigger, the catalyst for the actual event that this novel is about. Death is the great equalizer, it is always there, lurking in some corner of the room, sitting in the backseat, floating on the surface of the waves, waiting patiently. Philosophy and theology overflow with questions and possible explanations of the desire to know what happens after death, where we go if we do go anywhere, and if there is a thread or a chain that could tether us to this world. The yearning for immortality is one of the reasons why artists create - in order to leave something behind, a part of themselves that would render them immortal. However, a more common response to where we truly reside after we are gone is in the memories of the people that we leave behind. This is the truth that Larkin, the novel’s protagonist, will discover when he finds himself unable to leave this world and move on.
The novel is filled with contrasts - life and death, fire and water, sanity and madness - that leave the reader entangled, curious, excited, and eventually, suspicious. I enjoyed the vivid and poetic depictions of the settings, the vibrant dialogues, the accents and the turns of phrase that made the characters practically audible in one’s mind. The epilogue functions as a metafictional device that casts a dark shadow over the entire narrative making us question the nature of the story, the truthfulness of the memories, the sanity of the narrator. Hiraeth is a truly exciting novel for the lovers of the subtle macabre and the mysterious darkness.
November 2, 2020
This book captured my heart already from the very first page. By the time I reached the end of chapter 1, my head was swimming in this world of darkness.
Hiraeth is without a doubt the most poetic and beautiful book I read in 2020. Each action done by the characters are described in ways where all my senses would be actively imagining them, and each sentence, each paragraph, each chapter are like musical notes that bring together a masterful symphony.
For a lover of the dark world, gothic stories, and paranormal things, I thoroughly enjoyed the rich story of Hiraeth. It's unlike others, original, and yet very familiar, like that song that you hear for the first time but you feel the tune forming in your throat before you even hear the complete song. That's how I see the story of Larkin, Harriet, even Warren and Edith. Something about it is familiar, and yet completely new and breathtaking.
The last twist caught my off guard and left me wondering about the final mystery. I wished it would've been a bit more clear (but it may just be my own brains that couldn't get it), but still for the experience I got from the overall reading, this book is a definite 5-star for me.
I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next!
Hiraeth is without a doubt the most poetic and beautiful book I read in 2020. Each action done by the characters are described in ways where all my senses would be actively imagining them, and each sentence, each paragraph, each chapter are like musical notes that bring together a masterful symphony.
For a lover of the dark world, gothic stories, and paranormal things, I thoroughly enjoyed the rich story of Hiraeth. It's unlike others, original, and yet very familiar, like that song that you hear for the first time but you feel the tune forming in your throat before you even hear the complete song. That's how I see the story of Larkin, Harriet, even Warren and Edith. Something about it is familiar, and yet completely new and breathtaking.
The last twist caught my off guard and left me wondering about the final mystery. I wished it would've been a bit more clear (but it may just be my own brains that couldn't get it), but still for the experience I got from the overall reading, this book is a definite 5-star for me.
I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next!
March 9, 2020
Beautiful
A beautifully written, hauntingly poetic novel. This was such an incredibly unique story with unpredictable twists and turns - loved it!
A beautifully written, hauntingly poetic novel. This was such an incredibly unique story with unpredictable twists and turns - loved it!
April 11, 2020
This book is a beautifully dark love story, but also a ghost story, and a story about the determination of the spirit and the memories it holds. Set in a mental hospital perched on the Atlantic coastline, the story follows Larkin, a young boy obsessed with maps and finding his father presumably lost at sea. When Larkin is killed by a fire, his ghost sets out on a journey unlike any other. A journey that will lead him to unexpected places and unexpected love.
Do give this book a read! I enjoyed the voice and setting so much. I can still hear the ocean whipping up a stellar storm. ❤️
Do give this book a read! I enjoyed the voice and setting so much. I can still hear the ocean whipping up a stellar storm. ❤️
August 22, 2020
Hiraeth (n., Welsh): longing for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was. Yearning and grief for the lost places and moments of your past.
This beautiful book follows the story of twelve-year-old Larkin who lives with his mother in Merriver, a place where only those meant to be there can find their way to it. He is obsessed with his absent father, a sailor who his mother is reluctant to talk about. When a disturbed man finds his way Merriver and befriends Larkin things take a darker turn.
Many years later, a young woman named Harriet inherits a bird cage from her beloved aunt with the instructions to never open it. When she begins hearing voices her family has her placed in a mental institution (Merriver). She spends her time on the coast, fascinated by the water and a mansion under the waves. The imagery is dreamy and the mansion is like a memory palace, with many doors and stories behind each one. How Harriet and Larkin’s stories connect is the heart of this book.
There’s so much that I enjoyed about Hiraeth. Lungeanu’s writing is poetic and haunting. I could clearly imagine myself right there in the story, seeing each scene unfold. Absolutely beautiful! She put together a Spotify soundtrack that I listened to while I was reading that created the perfect atmosphere. I want to thank Sabina for sending me a digital copy of her book. I ended up ordering a physical copy because it’s that good. Highly recommended, especially for fans of gothic historical fiction.
This beautiful book follows the story of twelve-year-old Larkin who lives with his mother in Merriver, a place where only those meant to be there can find their way to it. He is obsessed with his absent father, a sailor who his mother is reluctant to talk about. When a disturbed man finds his way Merriver and befriends Larkin things take a darker turn.
Many years later, a young woman named Harriet inherits a bird cage from her beloved aunt with the instructions to never open it. When she begins hearing voices her family has her placed in a mental institution (Merriver). She spends her time on the coast, fascinated by the water and a mansion under the waves. The imagery is dreamy and the mansion is like a memory palace, with many doors and stories behind each one. How Harriet and Larkin’s stories connect is the heart of this book.
There’s so much that I enjoyed about Hiraeth. Lungeanu’s writing is poetic and haunting. I could clearly imagine myself right there in the story, seeing each scene unfold. Absolutely beautiful! She put together a Spotify soundtrack that I listened to while I was reading that created the perfect atmosphere. I want to thank Sabina for sending me a digital copy of her book. I ended up ordering a physical copy because it’s that good. Highly recommended, especially for fans of gothic historical fiction.
March 18, 2020
Hiraeth means a longing for a home to which you can never return, a home which maybe never was.
This book definitely has yearning, longing and emotional turbulence. I'm deeply impressed by Sabina's imagination and her skilled, beautiful language. Hiraeth is a dark story, darker than what I usually read, but beautifully written and captivating, the language almost poetic. I'm certain my thoughts will return to this story for a long while.
I don't know how to classify this book or genre, it's fantasy with a touch of horror and a touch of romance, and it's set at the turn of the twentieth century. But what I found so special was that all these dark poetic touches of fantasy and paranormality felt natural like this was just how the story was supposed to be, the world well created.
This book definitely has yearning, longing and emotional turbulence. I'm deeply impressed by Sabina's imagination and her skilled, beautiful language. Hiraeth is a dark story, darker than what I usually read, but beautifully written and captivating, the language almost poetic. I'm certain my thoughts will return to this story for a long while.
I don't know how to classify this book or genre, it's fantasy with a touch of horror and a touch of romance, and it's set at the turn of the twentieth century. But what I found so special was that all these dark poetic touches of fantasy and paranormality felt natural like this was just how the story was supposed to be, the world well created.
September 10, 2020
Such a beautifully hypnotic story. Weaving over time and distance. Her prose is gorgeous. The author truly has the soul of a poet.
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March 31, 2023rtc
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews