book review: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
The backstory: Burial Rites , the debut novel by Australian author Hannah Kent, is shortlisted for this year's Baileys Prize . It's also one of my book club's May picks (we meet every other month and read two books.) The basics: Set in Iceland in 1829, Burial Rites , is the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, a woman sentenced to die for murder. In this time before prisons, Agnes is sent to live with a family of two daughters on a farm to await her execution. My thoughts: Burial Rites is based on real people; Agnes Magnusdottir is the last person to be executed in Iceland. I'm a big fan of fiction based on real people and real events, and this story is a fascinating glimpse into another time and place. Kent allows multiple voices to narrate this novel, which adds depth to the characters and events. It's an intentionally complicating look at a deceptively simple story. There is a mystery at the heart of the narrative, but I'd stop short of calling it a myster...