A review by reliures
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

5.0

Historical fiction taking place in 19th century Iceland, inspired by real events. It follows Agnes, a woman condemned for a double murder and sentenced to death. We see her life in the last few months before her execution, amongst the family that has been obliged to take her in and the priest tasked with absolving her. 

This book absolutely shattered me,. The writing was eerie and beautiful, perfectly showing the bleak atmosphere of the Icelandic setting and of the story. There was some real emotional moments during Agnes life amongst her guardians and the ending was especially haunting to read. The characters were all compelling in their complexity, and the gorgeous writing made the society they lived in come alive. 

An impressive debut novel, Burial Rites is easily a five star and favourite read.