In the Distance

Written by Hernan Diaz

Narrated by Alexander Skarsgard

FINALIST FOR THE PULITZER PRIZE
FINALIST FOR THE PEN/FAULKNER AWARD
WINNER OF THE WHITING AWARD
WINNER OF THE SAROYAN INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR WRITING
WINNTER OF THE VCU CABELL FIRST NOVELIST AWARD
WINNER OF THE NEW AMERICAN VOICES AWARD
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY TOP 10 BOOK OF THE YEAR

The first novel by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Trust, an exquisite and blisteringly intelligent story of a young Swedish boy, separated from his brother, who becomes a legend and an outlaw

A young Swedish immigrant finds himself penniless and alone in California. The boy travels east in search of his brother, moving on foot against the great current of emigrants pushing west. Driven back again and again, he meets criminals, naturalists, religious fanatics, swindlers, American Indians, and lawmen, and his exploits turn him into a legend. Diaz defies the conventions of historical fiction and genre, offering a probing look at the stereotypes that populate our past and a portrait of radical foreignness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Jan 7, 2025
• ISBN: 9798217016846

Hernan Diaz

Hernan Diaz is the author of Trust. His first novel, In the Distance, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award. A recipient of a Whiting Award and the winner of the William Saroyan International Prize, he has been a fellow at the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers. His work has been translated into more than twenty languages.

Reviews for In the Distance

[alexrichman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very readable western picaresque. Drags in parts, too hurried in others, but Diaz is definitely in the 'must read' category.

[mbmackay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My second book by Hernan Diaz, after reading Trust earlier in the year.
He is a gifted and creative novelist. His books are far from the mainstream, but still accessible and enjoyable reads.
I found this book to be just slightly less polished than Trust - but every author has to have a first novel, and this first novel is better than most other novels I've read lately!
The reader is drawn along by the narrative, but with plenty of time to reflect outside the actual text. I found it highly enjoyable and can't wait for more by this author.

[albertgoldfain · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gritty and trippy by turns.

[castlelass · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Håkan Söderström and his brother Linus set out for America from their native Sweden in the mid-19th century. After losing his brother in the crowded port, Håkan erroneously boards a ship destined for San Francisco rather than New York. Not realizing the distance across the continent, he believes he can reunite with his brother by journeying east, sending him against the wave of pioneers traveling west. He encounters people and circumstances that combine to send him wandering around the desert. In the process, he becomes part of a legend composed of a small amount of truth and a great deal of fabrication.

Håkan initially does not understand English. Ingeniously, the author tells the story is a way that helps the reader identify with Håkan’s experience, with no dialogue introduced until later in the story, after he has gained a rudimentary knowledge of English. He meets a variety of colorful characters along his journey, such as an Irish gold prospector, a woman that keeps him captive, a scientist, a con artist, and a companion that cares for him. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book is the writing. The author’s prose is evocative. Díaz conveys a sense of open spaces, silence, emptiness, and loneliness.

“Håkan spent his days staring out at the desert, hoping Linus would feel his gaze through the osseous void. He looked at the plain until it became vertical, a surface to be climbed rather than traversed, and he wondered what he would find on the other side if he made it all the way up and straddled the sepia wall stretching into the drained, dim sky. No matter how hard he scanned the horizon, all he could see were rippling mirages and the phosphorescent specks his exhausted eyes made pop in and out of the emptiness. He pictured himself out there, running, insect-like, in the distance. Even if he ever managed to escape and somehow outdistance his mounted pursuers, how would he make it all by himself through that vast barren expanse? All he knew was that New York lay east and that he, therefore, had to follow the sunrise.”

This book takes place in the American west but avoids the typical western stereotypes. For example, the violence Håkan commits is not glorified or treated frivolously. Instead, it becomes an unsurmountable hurdle. He cannot reconcile his self-image as a decent caring human with someone that could perform such acts, even though he has no choice under the circumstances. He feels tremendous responsibility and becomes unable to cope. His life takes a dramatic turn at this point.

I found this book atmospheric and creative. It follows an unusual story arc, but I found it easy to go with the flow. It is a tribute to the author that he makes an appealing story out of a situation in which the protagonist is alone the majority of the time. This book contains beautiful descriptions of nature, a memorable protagonist, and much food for thought.

[Ana IF · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It has been a magnificent read; it surprised me a lot. I didn't think a book in the western genre could be so gripping and interesting. We must highlight the author's mastery in transporting us to the America of the Westward Expansion and the gold rush, ensuring that this experience never falls into boredom or heaviness. But this is also because it is not just an epic story or adventure; rather, it is a tale about the loneliness faced by its protagonist, the struggle to survive in a hostile environment, his instinct for overcoming challenges, and the need for isolation from others to escape the legend that falls upon him. (Translated from Spanish)

[zurilector · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very curious and interesting, it reflects with considerable verisimilitude life in the West, although it sometimes gets lost in introspections, but also in interesting facts about survival in a hostile environment, such as the desert or the vast unpopulated plains. The peculiar psyche of the protagonist is very well portrayed, his feeling of isolation, and also how legends are created in the Old West. (Translated from Spanish)

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Through countless frosts and thaws, he walked in circles wider than nations.

Then he stopped.”


The opening of this book is amazing! So good, I re-read it after I finished the book!

Håkan goes from James Brennan’s gold mine to the town of Clangston, with the creepy toothless woman, to Lorimer’s wagon and his lessons on evolution and dissection. Started becoming a legend after defending a wagon train heading west. Becoming “The Hawk”. Then he becomes a myth, and to many, a feared one!

It's a really good story about a man in the rugged United States wilderness, about the time of the Gold Rush. He goes from adventure to adventure, usually alone, and in a quiet, determined way. And like I said, along the way, he becomes - The Hawk!

[stravinsky-544320 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

reads very much like one of jack london's dog tales.

[cuquipablo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If a western can hook someone who doesn't like the genre at all, it must be very good. One of those characters that you find it hard to say goodbye to and a story documented and told with overwhelming precision.

(January 24, 2021) (Translated from Spanish)

[forsanolim · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A teenager, Håkan is traveling with his older brother from Sweden to New York when he accidentally ends up on a different ship heading for California. After arriving in San Francisco, Håkan resolves to walk east to reunite with his brother in New York. As he sets off, he encounters a wide range of people--from an Irish family trying their luck searching for gold, to a naturalist, to swindlers, to Native Americans--as his journeys take him across the harsh landscapes of the American West, making him into a living legend in the process.

The writing was definitely masterful (though quite sparse in some ways), and I'm happy that I read it. It was definitely a strange book to read in that there wasn't a classical plot in any way, but rather a loosely-chained series of events constituting Håkan's life story. I was quite confused by this initially, but I think that it came to make more sense later on.

[JuanMonereoVilalta · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For me, one of the best, if not the best book I have read this year (I read it in Catalan). (Translated from Spanish)

[adriledesma · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A tremendous story that recounts the odyssey of a man who, to survive and achieve his goal, battles the ferocity of the weather and the untamed nature, in a hostile yet generous territory, in a context where nothing expands to infinity in a continuous present, and everything contracts, uniting past and future in an instant.
Intense, desolate, and magnificent; that is this novel!
I was fascinated!!! (Translated from Spanish)

[AlbertoMarconi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Now I understand more about "Moon Palace" by Paul Auster; I encounter a new trend in talking about the American West. Leaving behind the myth of the Cowboy and the Indian, Hernán Díaz, an immigrant himself, tells the story of a European immigrant in the 19th century. It captures images of a vast country, space, desert, plain. It goes from the gold rush to the immense migration of settlers to the West in search of the American dream. It presents stark covers of colonization, abuses everywhere. However, the hero is the settler who survived; it magnifies the country by revealing the hidden sins of that nation. The Indian is not the villain of the story. David Crockett, Daniel Boone, Johnny Appleseed come to mind. The birth of myths in a region urgently seeking identity; from anecdote, the legend grows to occupy the consciousness of unity. At times suffocating, it thus shows the greatness and vastness of the United States. (Translated from Spanish)

[modioperandi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An American tall tale like no other. Heartrendingly beautifully told and just so damn good. Hernan Diaz is a true artist and In the Distance is a master work. A tale of a young Swedish immigrant in America and his travels, adventures, losses, gains and all of it bound up in a Odysseus-like story.

In the Distance is totally mesmerizing and a total page-turner. I read this in 3 sittings. The despair and loneliness and persistence of Hakan and his disconnection to the world around him is just beautifully told. I cried several times while reading this book. In tall tale fashion parts of the book are outlandish but it fits - suspend disbelief and just trust where Diaz is taking you. You will not regret it.

The part where Hakan things that he traversed the globe only to return to the same spot! Just one of many heartbreaking scenes.

Diaz explores with masterfully beautiful prose themes of: Empathy, loss, love, confusion, memory, truth, lies, and corruption. It is a tall tale like no other and it will make you beg for more Hernan Diaz.

[lindaspangler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A young Swedish immigrant finds himself penniless and alone in California. The boy travels east in search of his brother, moving on foot against the great current of emigrants pushing west. Driven back again and again, he meets naturalists, criminals, religious fanatics, swindlers, Indians, and lawmen, and his exploits turn him into a legend. Diaz defies the conventions of historical fiction and genre, offering a probing look at the stereotypes that populate our past and a portrait of radical foreignness.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book on CD narrated by Peter Berkrot.


In the mid-19th century a young teen sets out from Sweden with his older brother to America. Bound for New York, they get separated when changing ships, and Håkan, with no English, mistakenly takes a ship bound for San Francisco. Arriving at the height of the gold rush, and not fully understanding the breadth of the continent he must traverse, he is determined to earn his way East to reconnect with his brother Linus. Along the way he encounters a wide variety of characters – some helpful, many not – and learns to rely upon himself.

This is a Western unlike any other I’ve ever read. The “romance” of the West is nowhere to be found here. This is often a barren, dangerous place with few allies and many enemies. In places the novel takes a philosophical turn as Håkan ponders his fate and occasionally despairs of every achieving his goal. Håkan, himself, is the stuff of legend. For one thing, he continues to grow throughout the book, becoming a giant of a man; the stories of his escapades and his legend grow even bigger. The novel covers decades, taking Håkan from age fourteen to “white-haired” old age.

I loved the poetic writing though sometimes was frustrated by the lack of clear story arc. Also, occasionally Díaz writes entire passages in Swedish, with little or no translation. I suppose he wanted the reader to feel as lost as his character. A few times in the book, Díaz repeats entire passages verbatim a page or two after first introducing them. I think fans of Jose Saramago would like this book. My F2F book group had a spirited discussion, though most members did not like it.

My final verdict: Marvelous writing and a fascinating character.

Peter Berkrot narrated the audio version. I did not like his delivery, though I eventually grew used to it. I think I’ll probably re-read this as some point, and I’ll definitely rely on the text version.

[gwendydd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. I couldn't put this book down. It tells the story of a Hakan, Swedish man who comes to the California as a teenager and sets out toward New York to find his brother. He travels in the Wild West, usually alone, becoming a legend in the process.

The writing is incredibly engaging, even in parts where there are long lulls in the action. As you would expect in a Wild West tale, the landscape is as much of a character as any of the characters, but Diaz pulls that off without ever being trite, especially because Hakan is more comfortable in the places that most other people avoid. The book is ever so slightly surreal, and yet remains plausible even as it grows into an ever taller big fish tale.

[whitreidtan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There is a popular narrative about the settling of the American West. Streams of settlers set out from the East and made their way in covered wagons to the lands further west in search of a better life. These pioneers built farms, they encountered native peoples under both peaceful and hostile conditions, they panned and mined for the gold of their fever dreams, and they pushed ever forward in the promise of Manifest Destiny. There are variations on this tale, of course, but most variations do not generally veer too far from this imagined story. Hernan Diaz, though, has turned this story on its head in his novel, In the Distance, starting with an immigrant determined to get not from the East to California but from California to New York.

Hakan Soderstrom is an old man called The Hawk about whom many legends are told when he sits down on a ship bound for Alaska and tells his story. He and his brother Linus left their parents and their home in Sweden to travel to America. At a stopover in Portsmouth, Linus disappears and speaking no English, Hakan must try to find their boat to America himself. Instead of the one heading for New York that he assumes Linus caught, Hakan ends up on a boat making for San Francisco to land people close to the gold fields. The young boy intends to walk the breadth of the continent to find his brother and protector in New York. Along the way, he meets with a whole host of people, some of whom are willing to help him and others who want to use him for their own ends, but for the largest part of his journey, he is alone, reliant only on himself, what the few kind people he has encountered have taught him, and what nature provides.

The novel is written in soaring prose with evocatively described landscapes and echoes of Frankenstein's monster's journey. The Hawk is an epic figure, traveling mainly on foot across empty stretches of a new country and also journeying into the recesses his own soul. This is both a literal and a metaphorical quest for his brother and for home. The hardships that Hakan endures would have felled a lesser man. Diaz captures the emptiness of the land, the solitude, even in company, of the immigrant who cannot communicate in the language of the country, and the loss of the self to constructed myths told by others. Reading this felt like sitting out in the blazing sun for hours with time telescoping in and out, some pages seeming to last for days and others for seconds. It is a book about both existence and nothingness. Not for the reader who wants fast moving plot, but for one who will take the time to sink into the hypnotic maelstrom.

[dickmanikowski · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mythic tale of a Swedish immigrant who catches the wrong ship in England and finds himself disembarked in California during the Gold Rush rather than in New York. The novel traces his adventures as he wanders east, running opposite to the flow of westbound settlers.

[romonko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel is genre breaking. It is historical fiction in that it is set in and around California during the goldrush. It's a story of one man's courage, determination and will to live. It is also a unique look at the humanity and the drama around a booming goldrush town. I highly recommend that you take this incredible journey with young Hakan Soderstrom (Hawk) from his time as a young boy who left Sweden with his brother and somehow ended up in San Francisco during the goldrush. We follow him on his epic journey through the California desert and back again as he attempts to walk across America in order to find his brother who he lost in New York. This was an amazing book because of its scope, and because of the beautiful prose. Diaz has written a book that is a literary treasure, all lovingly told, and Diaz uses his literary prowess to portray the 19 century American landscape in all iit's beauty and grandeur. The book is stunning in its scope. The old west comes alive under Diaz's capable hand. Highly recommended.

[dreesie-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Häkän Söderstrom and his older brother Linus are sent by their Swedish tenant farmer parents to New York via Porstmouth, England. There was only enough money for 2 tickets. Häkän was, and I'm guessing, maybe 14? 13? and Linus 16 or 15? Häkän looks up to his brother and trusts him endlessly

They make it to Portsmouth, and Linus disappears. One second he's there, the next he's not. After looking and looking, H finally gets on a boat, thinking Linus has embarked to look for him.

And he ends up in San Francisco. It's 1849, maybe 1850. And from there, in his desire to travel to NY and find Linus he has many accidental adventures. He makes friends, learns many things, and becomes a legend. He also becomes a bit of a hermit.

This book is fascinating but ultimately very sad. What did their parents think? What happens to L and H in the end? H came so close to having a typical life when he met Helen, but it was not to be.

In many ways this reminded me of Patrick DeWitt's novels, but it is also original. What an interesting character Diaz created, in a time and place that has been written about so many times--but not like this.

Also--amazing cover. Only I kept picking it up upside down.