Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday - Burial Rites; Hannah Kent


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pick is for  a debut novel that I think sounds good. What do you think?

Little, Brown and Company
September 2013

Kent's debut delves deep into Scandinavian history, not to mention matters of storytelling, guilt, and silence. Based on the true story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the novel is set in rural Iceland in 1829. Agnes is awaiting execution for the murder of her former employer and his friend, not in a prison—there are none in the area—but at a local family's farm. Jón Jónsson, the father, grudgingly accepts this thankless task as part of his responsibility as a regional official, but his wife and daughters' reactions range from silent resentment to outright fear. After settling in to the household, Agnes requests the company of a young priest, to whom she confesses parts of her story, while narrating the full tale only to the reader, who, like the priest, provide her with a final audience to her life's lonely narrative. The multilayered story paints sympathetic and complex portraits of Agnes, the Jónssons, and the young priest, whose motives for helping the convict are complicated. Kent smoothly incorporates her impressive research— for example, she opens many of the chapters with documents that come directly from archival sources—while giving life to these historical figures and suspense to their tales.

13 comments:

  1. This sounds really good....thanks for sharing. And here's MY WOW POST

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  2. This one sounds really good! I got an ARC at BEA and it is waiting for me to break its spine.

    My WoW post: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2013/06/waiting-on-wednesday-new-mystery.html

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  3. I agree, that sounds really quite good!

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  4. Interesting book. Thanks for sharing :)

    blog follower

    http://www.itchingforbooks.com/2013/06/waiting-on-wednesday-53-snakeroot.html

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  5. There was a lot of buzz for this book at BEA - it sounds terrific!

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  6. This one is on my wish list for sure. Sounds amazing!

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  7. This book certainly sounds unique. I think I'll wait for your review to decide if I want to tackle it.

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  8. I hadn't heard of this one before but it sounds so good. I've jotted it down so I don't forget about it. Thanks Diane!

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  9. Excellent choice! I hope it'll be as good as it sounds!

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  10. It sounds like a really interesting book Diane, and a true story at that.
    Denise
    An English Girl Rambles

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  11. This one sounds different and maybe one I would pick up to read.

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  12. That does sound like a great debut novel! I love Scandinavian settings so will be on the lookout for it.

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