A review by robertrivasplata
Inland by Téa Obreht

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Somewhat historical & slightly supernatural western. Follows the life of a camel-riding drifter and a day in the life of a plucky homesteader attempting to unravel a mystery. Envisions the American west as a place full of ghosts. Practically every conversation Nora has reveals that she is consistently the last one to know about anything. Back in 1893, without the benefit of TV westerns, I'm not sure what I would make of the sudden appearance of black-hatted strangers in my town. It's probably an example of mystery protagonist syndrome. Lurie/Misafir is a little harder to judge, because his story is mostly a chronicle of his adventures and misadventures, pursued by the law and haunted/goaded by ghosts. I see that Obreht noted all of her Balkan countrymen to be found in the American West. I like how she showed how the ideas around nationality was different back in the 1850s, both because of the nature of the polities of the time but also because the ideas of nationalism were still forming. The characters, the places, the landscapes could all be from Land of Little Rain. Mary Austin would have loved to have written about the camel man, and Lurie would have appreciated the opportunity to share. The little town of Amargo reminds me of the the little town from Bless Me Ultima, only drier and sadder. Maybe one of Tony's friends would take him there to see its ghosts. Makes me want to look up the history of the real life U.S. Army Camel Corps, and also the history of Camels in Australia.