Burial Rites - Hannah Kent

Based on the true story of the last woman to be executed in Iceland, Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites (Little, Brown, $26) is set in the rugged landscape of 19th-century Iceland. With two others, Agnes Magnusdottir is convicted of a brutal murder, but because there is no place to hold her while she awaits execution, she takes residence with the family of a town official. There, she’s ministered to by a young local priest and works alongside the women of the family. The bonds that form are, of course, complicated by the fact that Agnes is condemned to be put to death. This is a story rich in complications, love, and the possibility of redemption. Kent recounts the events in a spare, straightforward style, befitting the setting and situation.