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Hard by a Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili - 4* - My Review

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. Irakli’s plans to rescue his wife are derailed by an “honest” man who did not follow through on his promise. Years later, Irakli goes back to Georgia to locate her, and the two sons end up separately following in his footsteps.

The writing provides a compelling story while also vividly portraying life in Georgia after independence. The narrative includes references to ghosts, though they can also be interpreted as representations of Sabo’s inner voices, with the ultimate explanation left up to the reader. It includes many colorful characters and a bit of much-needed humor that helps offset some of the grim subject matter. I particularly enjoyed references to the escape of animals from the Tbilisi zoo.

It is tense in some places, and tragic in others. I found it easy to root for Saba to succeed, while recognizing that it might be a stretch to expect much in the way of a positive ending. (Remember all those childhood fairy tales? Many of them do not end well.) The setting in Georgia is not one I have seen often, so it provides a nice change of pace. This is an auspicious debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.

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