Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Based on a real event this is the story of Agnes Magnusdottir who, in 1829, in Northern Iceland, was tried and sentence to death for her part in the savage murder of her lover, Natan Ketilsson.  Once convicted, the authorities decide that until a date is set for her execution, Agnes will be placed under the care of District Officer Jon Jonsson and his family and she will live and work on their farm.   The descriptions of the harsh Icelandic environment were atmospheric and the portrayal of the austere hardship of agricultural life was well done.  It took me a while to get used to the style – the chapters switch between first person point of view and third person point of view, but in the end I thought this worked.  Agnes’ account was told in first person and as such I felt more attuned to her emotions and fears.  I would have liked to know more about the other characters in the story especially the priest Toti, whose task it is to bring Agnes closer to God.  I wish I had read the author’s notes first as the background to how she came to write the story and the research she undertook was interesting and made me understand the story more.