Austria: The Sojourn

The Sojourn

by Andrew Krivak

 



This is a book that will stick with you forever.  Kind of like All Quiet on the Western Front, or The Heart of Darkness, or maybe Cold Mountain.  The narrative is quiet, poetic, and mesmerizing, with vivid descriptions and little dialogue between characters.  Krivak's main intent seems to be to take us into the heart and mind of Jozef Vinich, our young protagonist who leaves his mountain home and beloved father behind to become a soldier during World War I.

Jozef's story begins just after his birth in America, where within weeks of his arrival in the world, his mother dies in a shocking accident.  His father, left alone to raise his infant son, decides to leave America and return to his home, a village in the mountains of the Austro-Hungarian empire where he and the boy tend sheep and make their way in the world, alone but for each other.  As Jozef learns the way of the shepherd, he also learns the skills of a marksman.  When his cousin, Zlee, comes to live with them, they become brothers, each equally devoted to the man who teaches them how to survive.

All that they learn proves invaluable when, at tender ages of not yet 20, the two boys leave home to join the fighting in what will become World War I.  Although some of the narrative plods a bit in this part of the story, the tale is interspersed with intense moments of the horrors of war, of death, and of loss.  What's magical is that throughout the novel, Jozef's humanity shine like a brilliant star.  The language embodies masculinity, the strong exterior that shields a more vulnerable internal self that loves in the midst of fighting and killing.  It's beautifully done, and while this book won't go on my list of favorites, I can absolutely appreciate its quality and the reasons its received a nod from the National Book Award when it made the shortlist of finalists in 2011.

Worth reading is Andrew Krivak's web page, in particular his discussion of the inspiration behind the story of The Sojourn.  He talks about a photograph of his grandfather that was taken in 1918 when he was a very young member of the Austro-Hungarian army and of the family lore that rolled around in his imagination until it eventually became The Sojourn.  I have a story like that, rolling around in my mind for years, about an old family member with a life story that I'd like to someday write about.  So this background is very intriguing to me, and in a way, I wish I'd been aware of it before I read the book.  It might have enriched my experience of The Sojourn even more.

Austria today

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, prior to WWI

Other Books Considered:

Freud's Mistress, by Karen Mack
Setting Free the Bears, by John Irving
Homestead, by Rosina Lippi
The Exiles Return, by Elisabeth da Waal
The Castle in the Forest, by Normal Mailer
The Accidental Empress, by Allison Pataki