"Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent - Historical Fiction Book Club - Past Titles

About the Author: Hannah Kent

Hannah Kent is an Australian author known for her compelling historical fiction that often explores themes of death, identity, and the human experience. Here’s a brief overview of her biography:

Early Life and Education

Born: 1985, Adelaide, Australia.
Education: She studied at Flinders University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts and later a Master of Arts in Creative Writing.

Writing Career

Debut Novel: "Burial Rites" (2013) was her first novel, inspired by the true story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the last woman executed in Iceland. The book received critical acclaim and won several awards, including the Australian Book Industry Award for Book of the Year and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award.
Subsequent Works: Kent followed up with "The Good People" (2016), which is set in 19th-century Ireland and delves into themes of folklore and superstition. Her third novel, "Devotion" (2021), explores the life of a young woman in 19th-century Prussia, reflecting on love and faith.

Themes and Style

Kent's writing is characterized by rich historical detail, emotional depth, and a focus on marginalized voices, particularly those of women. She often draws on real historical events and figures to craft her narratives.

Personal Life

Kent has spent time living in Iceland, which significantly influenced her writing, especially "Burial Rites." She currently resides in Melbourne, Australia, where she continues to write and teach.

Recognition

Throughout her career, Hannah Kent has garnered numerous accolades and has been a finalist for various literary awards, establishing herself as a significant voice in contemporary literature.

Synopsis

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tv=ti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard. Riveting and rich with lyricism, Burial Rites evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

Historical Timeline

1820

Agricultural Challenges: The early 1820s were marked by difficulties in agriculture due to harsh weather conditions, leading to food shortages and economic hardship.

1823

Establishment of the First Modern School: The first modern school in Iceland, the "Landsuppfræðiskólinn," was founded in Reykjavík, promoting education and literacy.

1825

Increased Trade: The Danish government began to relax trade restrictions, allowing Icelanders to engage in more direct trade with other nations, which was crucial for economic development.

1828

Census: A national census was conducted, providing important demographic data. The population of Iceland was around 47,000 at this time.

1829

Execution of Agnes Magnúsdóttir: The year marked a significant event in Icelandic history when Agnes Magnúsdóttir was executed, becoming one of the last people to be executed in Iceland. This event is a focal point in Hannah Kent's novel "Burial Rites."

Cultural and Social Context

Throughout the 1820s, there was a growing movement towards national identity and cultural revival, with increasing interest in Icelandic literature and folklore.
The Lutheran Church remained a dominant force in Icelandic society, influencing education and community life.

His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Call Number: FIC Burnet
In the smash hit historical thriller that the New York Times Book Review calls "thought provoking fiction," a brutal triple murder in a remote Scottish farming community in 1869 leads to the arrest of seventeen-year-old Roderick Macrae. There is no question that Macrae committed this terrible act. What would lead such a shy and intelligent boy down this bloody path? And will he hang for his crime? Presented as a collection of documents discovered by the author, His Bloody Project opens with a series of police statements taken from the villagers of Culdie, Ross-shire. They offer conflicting impressions of the accused; one interviewee recalls Macrae as a gentle and quiet child, while another details him as evil and wicked. Chief among the papers is Roderick Macrae's own memoirs where he outlines the series of events leading up to the murder in eloquent and affectless prose. There follow medical reports, psychological evaluations, a courtroom transcript from the trial, and other documents that throw both Macrae's motive and his sanity into question. Graeme Macrae Burnet's multilayered narrative--centered around an unreliable narrator--will keep the reader guessing to the very end.
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Call Number: FICTION Atwood
ISBN: 0385475713
Publication Date: 1996-11-01
A fictionalized account of Grace Marks, a maid who murdered her employer and his mistress in Canada in 1843. A stablehand who was her accomplice and who claimed she put him up to it was hung for the crime, while she ended up in a lunatic asylum. The novel analyzes the question: was she actually less guilty, crazy, or smarter?
The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke
Call Number: FICTION Clarke
When an elderly Bimshire village woman calls the police to confess to a murder, the result is a shattering all-night vigil that brings together elements of the African diaspora in one epic sweep. Set on the post-colonial West Indian island of Bimshire in 1952, The Polished Hoe unravels over the course of 24 hours but spans the lifetime of one woman and the collective experience of a society informed by slavery. As the novel opens, Mary Mathilda is giving confession to Sargeant, a police officer she has known all her life. The man she claims to have murdered is Mr. Belfeels, the village plantation owner for whom she has worked for more than thirty years. Mary has also been Mr. Belfeels' mistress for most of that time and is the mother of his only son, Wilberforce, a successful doctor. What transpires through Mary's words and recollections is a deep meditation about the power of memory and the indomitable strength of the human spirit. Infused with Joycean overtones, this is a literary masterpiece that evokes the sensuality of the tropics and the tragic richness of Island culture.
Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue
Call Number: FICTION Donoghue
Slammerkin : A loose gown; a loose woman. Born to rough cloth in Hogarth's London, but longing for silk, Mary Saunders's eye for a shiny red ribbon leads her to prostitution at a young age. A dangerous misstep sends her fleeing to Monmouth, and the position of household seamstress, the ordinary life of an ordinary girl with no expectations. But Mary has known freedom, and having never known love, it is freedom that motivates her. Mary asks herself if the prostitute who hires out her body is more or less free than the "honest woman"locked into marriage, or the servant who runs a household not her own? And is either as free as a man? Ultimately, Mary remains true only to the three rules she learned on the streets: Never give up your liberty. Clothes make the woman. Clothes are the greatest lie ever told.