Nora’s is the second narrative and it’s 1893 in Amargo, Arizona Territory, where homesteading is tough and living on this parched land during a drought can be brutal. He finds “brothers” in Donovan and Hobb Mattie and soon becomes an outlaw. When his father dies, Lurie is sold to the Coachman who picks up the dead and robs graves. Lurie, a Middle Eastern immigrant is brought to Missouri by his father in 1856. There are two narratives which for most of the novel felt very disconnected, but when they did, it was an amazing thing. But I kept reading so much about it that my interest was piqued, and I have to say that I was very captivated by this western story. I wasn’t captivated by The Tiger's Wife so I almost wasn’t going to read this. It showcases all of Téa Obreht's talents as a writer, as she subverts and reimagines the myths of the American West, making them entirely-and unforgettably-her own. Mythical, lyrical, and sweeping in scope, Inland is grounded in true but little-known history. The way in which Lurie's death-defying trek at last intersects with Nora's plight is the surprise and suspense of this brilliant novel. He sees lost souls who want something from him, and he finds reprieve from their longing in an unexpected relationship that inspires a momentous expedition across the West.

Meanwhile, Lurie is a former outlaw and a man haunted by ghosts. Nora is biding her time with her youngest son, who is convinced that a mysterious beast is stalking the land around their home. Nora is an unflinching frontierswoman awaiting the return of the men in her life-her husband, who has gone in search of water for the parched household, and her elder sons, who have vanished after an explosive argument. In the lawless, drought-ridden lands of the Arizona Territory in 1893, two extraordinary lives unfold.

Inland by Téa Obreht