Comments (53)

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Mar 10, 2024PDBurt rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
Get a history lesson in what life was like in the late 1700s. Well written. The author created something out of an old crime. Too bad she couldn't create a better ending. Too long & repetitive. The editor should have cut out a big chunk.
Sep 29, 2023jacady rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Well written and fascinating story. Hard to believe this is a first time novel for this author. I agree with the Library Journal - "suspenseful, smart historical fiction"
Feb 26, 2023Fireicemma rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Really enjoyed this fictionalized account of Agnes Magnusdottir.
Jun 04, 2022readerNJC rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Book Club selection/discussion but topic was so difficult to read.
Apr 20, 2022Alpha_zzz rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Wow! Prepare yourself for a dark novel. At no time do you feel like the sun is shining nor is there any warmth or scented flowers blooming. The country of Iceland seems to be the perfect backdrop for such a dark story. This is a…
PaulJam1
Feb 17, 2022PaulJam1 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
One of Robotham's favorites.
Sep 18, 2021cnewson rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Burial Rites is compelling. A thoroughly good read.
Aug 09, 2021RKimmer rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The countryside's stark & cold reality mirrored the family's feelings toward the main character, until they spent more time with her, began to know her & feel empathy. The depiction of the harsh way of…
May 20, 2021
On my list to read again.
Apr 04, 2021rclane rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Compulsively readable, with an engaging rhythm of first and third person narratives.
Aug 11, 2020JCLSarahZ rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Set in Iceland in the 1800's this historical fiction depicts what life might have been like for a young woman accused of murder and sentenced to death. Though fiction, this novel is based on true events. This book was very slow to…
Feb 25, 2020Hillsboro_JeanineM rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
In this fictional re-imagining of the life of Agnes Magnusdottir, the last person to be beheaded in Iceland, Agnes's life and "imprisonment" on a farm is reconstructed in a beautifully engaging story.
Nov 07, 2019Inga57 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Second reading via Kindle Immersion Narration is slow, deliberate, haunting; ringing with truth and hardship from the time. I've highlighted much of Kent's writing, especially thoughts from Agnes, which are so deeply honest and dripping…
Oct 15, 2019__jacs rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
It took me a minute to get into the time period and the story. Even with skimming over the Icelandic words, the story is very good. I found myself wanting it to move along because I was excited for the interactions between characters, but…
Jun 23, 2019maipenrai rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Heart breaking story.. Kristi & Abby Tabby
Feb 04, 2019tracysue rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
It took me quite a few pages to get into this, but once I did, I liked it. It’s a sad story, but also an interesting insight into what must have been a difficult place and time to live.
Jan 04, 2019maryellenwalsh rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
Didn’t last 30 pages. Cold, muddy, Stark, rigid religious world.
Dec 13, 2018lpreston214 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Atmospheric novel about a woman condemned to death in early 1800s Iceland. Since there were no real prisons in Iceland at the time it was decided to house her with a local official to await her fate. The family slowly adjusts to having her…
Nov 16, 2018SurreyLibraries_Reads rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
1829 – Iceland. Angus Magnusson is the last female publicly executed in the country. She was found guilty as an accomplice in the murder of two men. But what part of a murder is valid for criminal punishment if the act was not done with…
Oct 30, 2018peacebenow rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This subject initially sounded a little gruesome. I was amazed how quickly I was drawn into the story and really just wanted to keep reading. The story is woven in a manner that leads you through the many roads of Agnes's life. You'll get…
Oct 22, 2018
Hannah Kent’s debut novel “Burial Rites” tells a riveting fictional tale of true events surrounding an Icelandic woman, Agnes Magnúsdóttir, who was convicted of murder in the 1800’s. Readers can feel the cold and despair of this story…
Aug 16, 2018JLMason rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Based on a true story, this book is a well-researched account of life in early 19th century northern Iceland. Life was nasty, brutish, and short. People scratched out a living on subsistence farms, but owning land and livestock conferred…
Jul 18, 2018kobrien3 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Set in Iceland in the 1800's, Burial Rites tells the true story of Agnes Magnusdottir, a woman who was sentenced to death for the murder of her employer. Dark and beautifully written, this is almost equal parts historical fiction and crime…
Jun 07, 2018Kpaavola rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Recently visited northern part of Iceland and found this true story from local people. It is hard to believe this story took place in such an isolated and remote area. There is a memorial marker where the tragedy (murder and burned down…
Jan 06, 2018CassandraOverney rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Burial Rites is such a beautiful and heartbreaking novel. It evolves around the last execution in Iceland. The story is absolutely brutal because of its realistic nature. I felt empathy for Agnes and anger against the people who wronged…