Saba is just a child when he flees fighting in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia with his older brother, Sandro, and father, Irakli, for asylum in England. Two decades later, all three men are struggling to make peace with the past, haunted by the places and people they left behind. When Irakli decides to return to Georgia, pulled back by memories of a lost wife and a decaying but beautiful homeland, Saba and Sandro wait eagerly for news. But within weeks of his arrival, Irakli disappears, and the final message they receive from him causes a mystery to unfold before them: “I left a trail I can’t erase. Do not follow it.” In a journey that will lead him to the very heart of a conflict that has marred generations and fractured his own family, Saba must retrace his father’s footsteps to discover what remains of their homeland and its people.

I was immediately drawn to this book from its description, and it was an incredible journey of family, belonging, love, loss, grief, and homeland. I could tell early on that this book was going to be excellent, and it didn’t disappoint. The book was full of humor, which greatly balanced out the more difficult moments of loss and Georgia’s tumultuous times in the early days of post-Soviet rule. All of the characters were delightful, with their own flaws and haunted pasts to grapple with that played out so beautifully. The novel’s title is derived from the opening lines of Hansel and Gretel, which helps set the tone for the thrill, adventure, and folklore that unfolds. Saba sets off on a scavenger hunt for his brother and father throughout Georgia, and I loved the nostalgic descriptions of all of the different places in Georgia that Saba’s journey takes him. The book also doesn’t shy away from the brutality of war and its impacts on humanity, including children, so sensitive readers may want to tread lightly. The entire book was so beautifully written. The ending was gut wrenching and I will definitely be thinking about this book for a long time. A stunning debut, I highly recommend picking up Hard by a Great Forest!