A review by kristabooksandjams
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

5.0

This book has been so hyped lately that I was quite unsure if I would like it. Before reading it I heard so much about the beautiful writing but not much about a plot. I typically have a hard time with slower paced books and expected that this one would be a hard one to get through. So many people loved it though that I had to give it a go.

I am so very glad to say that I found this book to be very compelling. I did stretch it out a little bit to be able to pause and appreciate the story and the writing, but I could have read through it much quicker to my pleasant surprise. It's true. The writing is so very captivating and beautiful. As Hannah Kent describes the landscape of Iceland I felt like I could see it and wanted to bundle up to escape the cold!

The story is about Agnes Magnusdotter who was the last person to be executed in Iceland. After her sentencing she is placed on a farm with a family to live out her final months before execution. Kent does a great job mirroring the bleak landscape with the hopelessness we see in Agnes and yet I kept finding myself hoping for things to change. Even knowing the outcome I was drawn into the story, captivated by the hurt and pain that Agnes experienced from so many people and so many situations. I hoped for so much more for her.

I loved the writing. Loved the story. Loved the characters. Loved this book! I will definitely have to do a video review on my YouTube channel because I feel like I have so much more to say!