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A review by jamiedee24
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
5.0
This book left me speechless.
I found it on a shelf at the Dollar Tree, and thought it looked interesting. I had no idea this was Ms. Kent's debut novel, that she was so young, and that her words would be so powerful.
Set in Iceland in the mid 1800s, we find the protagonist, Agnes Magnusdottir, sentenced to death for her part in the murder of her employer. Sentenced to lose her head by the axe, Agnes is sent to live with the family of a small town politician to await the carrying out of her punishment. As the book progresses, we see Agnes and the family she is thrust upon begin to learn about each other and open up about their pasts, as well as their hopes and dreams.
By the end, I am not sure if Agnes is guilty of her crimes or not. As she crests the hill, my breath was caught up in the emotion of what some people will do in a moment of passion. Wonderful, haunting story. A beautiful book by Ms. Kent, and many ghosts from Icelandic lore.
I found it on a shelf at the Dollar Tree, and thought it looked interesting. I had no idea this was Ms. Kent's debut novel, that she was so young, and that her words would be so powerful.
Set in Iceland in the mid 1800s, we find the protagonist, Agnes Magnusdottir, sentenced to death for her part in the murder of her employer. Sentenced to lose her head by the axe, Agnes is sent to live with the family of a small town politician to await the carrying out of her punishment. As the book progresses, we see Agnes and the family she is thrust upon begin to learn about each other and open up about their pasts, as well as their hopes and dreams.
By the end, I am not sure if Agnes is guilty of her crimes or not. As she crests the hill, my breath was caught up in the emotion of what some people will do in a moment of passion. Wonderful, haunting story. A beautiful book by Ms. Kent, and many ghosts from Icelandic lore.