Devotion by Hannah Kent,

Picador

Like her earlier novels, Hannah Kent’s new novel is set in the 1800s but this is a personal tale. Kent grew up in the Adelaide Hills, descended from German immigrants, and says she has always been curious about the Prussians who settled there. She also wanted to explore the friendships between women, and in the wake of her own girlfriend proposing, conjured an ethereal love story between two women at a time when such things were not allowed. Hanne is a wild child who loves the forest but when she meets Thea something unique is sparked. Their families are Old Lutherans and, fleeing persecution, sail for a new life. With elements of supernatural and exquisite prose Kent draws us in to her tough, beautiful world.