Hard by a Great Forest set in Tblisi

Submitted: 29th August 2024

Hard by a Great Forest – Leo Vardiashvili

Third in our literary travel week courtesy of Wilbur Smith and Niso Smith Foundation who are currently shortlisting the titles up for the grand prize is..

Off to Tblisi, Georgia we go!

Map of locations in Hard by a Forest

BOARDING PASS INFORMATION

Destination : Tblisi

Author guide: Leo Vardiashvili

Genre: fiction

Food and drink to accompany: Georgian fayre!

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A novel to transport you to Tblisi

Map of locations in Hard by a Forest

Travel plans:

A look into life in Georgia. A look into life in a country you left behind as a child and return to as an adult. The experience of going back to search for your lost father. So , an emotional journey in more ways than one.

Travel review:

This is a remarkable read. For a debut, it’s pretty darn special. Very poignant and heartbreaking. Raw. Honestly, I felt all the emotions in this book and wanted to hug Saba and the author! His journey back to his homeland is such a ethereal and visceral story at the same time. I was fully immersed into this entire book – the Georgian culture, those woods, the search for the truth.

Location and setting are stunning! From the circus animals roaming the streets to the loud silence of the woods, the writing is like spinning a golden thread through a tapestry of humanity. The author has crafted a picture of home, memory and sacrifice. With recent stories in the news focused on countries not far from here, it seemed all the more poignant. How is this book not more widely out there? I’m going on a mission to shout about this from now on.