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Burial Rites

the breathtaking historical Icelandic crime thriller

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Burial Rites

Written by: Hannah Kent
Narrated by: Morven Christie
Free with 30-day trial

₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for ₹323.00

Buy Now for ₹323.00

About this listen

BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick!

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who is charged with the brutal murder of her former master.

Inspired by a true story, Burial Rites is perfect for fans of Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood and The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

- The Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist
- The Guardian First Book Award Shortlist
- The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Awards Shortlist

Iceland, 1829 – Agnes Magnúsdóttir is condemned to death for her part in the murder of her lover.

Agnes is sent to wait out her final months on the farm of district officer Jón Jónsson, his wife and their two daughters. Horrified to have a convicted murderer in their midst, the family avoid contact with Agnes. Only Tóti, the young assistant priest appointed Agnes’s spiritual guardian, is compelled to try to understand her. As the year progresses and the hardships of rural life force the household to work side by side, Agnes’s story begins to emerge and with it the family’s terrible realization that all is not as they had assumed.

Based on actual events, Burial Rites is an astonishing and moving novel about the truths we claim to know and the ways in which we interpret what we’re told. In beautiful, cut-glass prose, Hannah Kent portrays Iceland’s formidable landscape, in which every day is a battle for survival, and asks, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

'Outstanding' – Madeline Miller

'Sublime' – Sunday Telegraph

 Biographical Fiction Crime Thrillers Genre Fiction Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense

Critic Reviews

'A story of swirling sagas, poetry, bitterness, claustrophobia . . . through the long countdown towards Agnes's fate, it is Kent's heart-racing imagery that lingers . . . even the bleakness of Agnes's end, its gut-churning fear, holds an exhilaration that borders on the sublime.' Sunday Telegraph
‘A remarkable achievement . . . Burial Rites will stand comparison with Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace and Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang.’
One of the most gripping, intriguing and unique books I’ve read this year . . . A novel that bristles with beautiful description, that lays bare the harshness of women’s lives of the period and considers the nature of justice (Kate Mosse)
'So gripping I wanted to rush through the pages, but so beautifully written I wanted to linger over every sentence. Outstanding.' Madeline Miller, Orange Prize-winning author of The Song of Achilles
‘Gorgeous and haunting, Burial Rites will touch your heart.’ Charlotte Rogan, author of The Lifeboat
'The debut that everyone's talking about' Guardian
‘A debut of rare sophistication and beauty – a simple but moving story, meticulously researched and hauntingly told.’ Observer
'Startlingly vivid . . . This is a tormented tale of love and betrayal and divided loyalties recounted with heartfelt honesty . . . An exceptional debut.' Sunday Express
‘Hannah's rendering of Agnes Magnúsdóttir is as vivid and authentic as Mailer's Gary Gilmore . . . She has resurrected her heroine with grace and skill; her writing style is innately lyrical . . . An amazing book. I was completely engrossed all the way through, and heartbroken at its end.’ Donal Ryan, Man Booker longlisted author of The Spinning Heart
‘Haunting . . . startlingly vivid . . . This is a tormented tale of love and betrayal and divided loyalties recounted with heartfelt honesty . . . An exceptional debut.’ Eithne Farry, Sunday Express
'Remarkable . . . extraordinary . . . Burial Rites is thought-provoking and often deeply moving . . . Beautifully written, this is a novel that will draw you in and touch your heart. Agnes will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.' Daily Express
'This dark thriller from Hannah Kent is a must-read . . . Gripping.' Grazia
'Haunting and beautiful' Independent: 50 Best Beach Reads
'An intriguing scenario' Mail on Sunday
'A beautifully written and haunting story.' Kate Mosse, Mail on Sunday Event magazine
‘Burial Rites is beautiful and compelling . . . it's the announcement of a writer to watch.’ Guardian
'Kent is an Australian, but her beautiful first novel has the extraordinary setting of Iceland in the 1820s . . . a wonderfully strange and haunting story.' The Times
All stars
Most relevant
loved the story narration and the voice modulations throughout the time. For such a serious book like this, the narrator did full justice.

Brilliant Setting

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I started this book because I wanted to know about different cultures. The author has drawn a very interesting picture of Iceland. Cold and grey. The narration by morven christie is just too good. A whole mood i dare say!

For the narrator

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