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margaret21's review against another edition
5.0
At first this is a straightforward story, narrated by Duro, handyman and hunter, as he comes to the aid of an Englishwoman, Laura who is attempting to refurbish her Croatian holiday home. Gradually secrets are unpicked and revealed. Small-town rivalries. Duro's first and best love, Anka. And the atrocities of civil war, and what that does to a community that had previously lived together more or less in harmony. Forna creates a vivid landscape, describes dark secrets, long-festering divisions. This is a rewarding, immersive book whose initial apparently simple story line evolves into something richer and more complex. A book to re-read.
k_isadore's review against another edition
4.0
Haunting and unconventional in narrative style, Forna's novel spans a summer and a lifetime, weaving between present and memory like fish in a pond.
toksyk27's review against another edition
5.0
A very engaging and well written book. Storyline is very much in line with Aminatta Forna's theme of survivors who have endured horrific and traumatic civil wars. A slow paced read but nonetheless an absolute cannot put down page turner. My favourite Aminatta book after 'The Memory of Love'...Very close second!
tabbysreadingcorner's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
readhikerepeat's review against another edition
4.0
The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna is a haunting tale that you know from the first few pages is a book you want to read slowly so as to savor it. Set in the small town of Gost, Croatia, this relatively quick read is a story about the sorrows and tragedies of the aftermath of war and the power of perseverance in spite of it all. For the full review, visit The Book Wheel.
ysabelle_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lanagabriela99's review against another edition
5.0
Everything about this book was wonderful. Along with The Tiger's Wife, this has to be one of the best novels out there about the 1990s Yugoslav Wars, though unlike the former, it's clearly set in an ex-Yugoslav country (Croatia). I loved Duro as a character and my heart kept breaking for him the more I'd learn about him and his past. If you want to read a novel about Croatia, make it this one.
scmiller's review against another edition
I was already uninterested but after the author went on to describe a girl with Downs’ Syndrome as r******* I was out.
remigves's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0