Burial Rites

Hannah Kent

May 2013 · Picador Australia

About this ebook

The multi-award winning debut bestseller from the author of The Good People, with new novel Devotion out now.

In northern Iceland, 1829, Agnes Magnusdottir is condemned to death for her part in the brutal murder of two men.

Agnes is sent to wait on the farm of District Officer Jon Jonsson and his family, who are horrified and avoid Agnes. Only Toti, the young assistant reverend appointed as Agnes's spiritual guardian, is compelled to try to understand her. As the summer months fall away to winter, Agnes's story begins to emerge. And as the days to her execution draw closer, the question burns: did she or didn't she?

Based on a true story, Burial Rites is a deeply moving novel about freedom and the ways we will risk everything for love. In beautiful, cut-glass prose, Hannah Kent portrays Iceland's formidable landscape, and asks: how can one woman endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?



WINNER FOR INDIE AWARDS 2014
WINNER FOR VICTORIAN PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD 2014
WINNER FOR FAW CHRISTINA STEAD AWARD 2014
WINNER ABA NIELSEN BOOKDATA BOOKSELLERS' CHOICE AWARD 2014
WINNER FOR ABIA LITERARY FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014
WINNER FOR SMH BEST YOUNG AUSTRALIAN NOVELIST 2014
WINNER FOR ABIA/BOOKTOPIA PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD 2014
WINNER FOR DAVITT AWARDS DEBUT FICTION 2014
WINNER FOR DAVITT AWARDS READER'S CHOICE 2014
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARD 2013
SHORTLISTED FOR NIB WAVERLEY AWARD FOR LITERATURE 2013
SHORTLISTED FOR THE STELLA PRIZE 2014
SHORTLISTED FOR BAILEYS WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2014
SHORTLISTED FOR VICTORIAN PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD FOR FICTION 2014
SHORTLISTED FOR ALS GOLD MEDAL 2014
SHORTLISTED FOR VOSS LITERARY AWARD 2014
SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS 2014



Praise for Burial Rites

'A story of swirling sagas, poetry ... Holds an exhilaration that borders on the sublime' Sunday Telegraph
'a wonderfully strange and haunting story' The Times


'a debut of rare sophistication and beauty' Observer


'beautiful and compelling' The Guardian


'A gripping tale.' New York Times


'The most talked about Australian debut novel in years.' Australian

Ratings and reviews

Gripping insight into Iceland, illigitimacy , farming poverty, sexual hypocrisy and gender exploitation butting up against the law. Stunning language and descriptions. Hard to believe this is author's first book given its command, breadth and depth. Stunning.

It starts as a fairly gruesome tale, however, the back story is so sad and very slowly revealed, piece by piece you begin to see how life can sometimes be so unfair. Such a sad story but beautifully told, really, really moving.

Could not put this book down. Congratulations Hannah Kent. You have an unique talent of getting inside the characters' minds. You have done Agnes Magnussdottir proud. A brilliant advocate and story teller. Thank you

About the author

Hannah Kent's first novel, the multi award winning international bestseller, Burial Rites, was translated into over 30 languages and is being adapted for film. Her second novel, The Good People was translated into 10 languages, nominated for numerous awards and is also being adapted for film. Devotion, her third novel, published in 2021, won Booktopia's Favourite Australian Book, and was shortlisted for multiple industry awards. Her original feature film, Run Rabbit Run, was directed by Daina Reid and starred Sarah Snook. Hannah is also the co-founder of Kill Your Darlings, and has written for The New York Times, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, Meanjin, Qantas Magazine and LitHub. She lives and works on Peramangk and Kaurna country.