Burial Rites is Hannah Kent's debut novel, published in 2014, and winner of the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year, the Victorian Premier's People's Choice Award, and more. About an Icelandic woman sentenced to death after she is charged with the murder of her former master, the novel has garnered international praise and countless awards for its narrative lyricism, daring themes, and unforgettable story.
The novel is about a woman named Agnes who lives in Iceland in 1829. After she is accused of killing her former master, her life undergoes a series of dramatic changes; she is shunned by her family, friends, with only one priest who attempts to understand her. She is sentenced to be executed, but her story is much more than it seems, as the other characters begin to learn. Set against the stark and unforgiving landscape of Iceland, the book utilizes profound and spiritual language to tell an utterly captivating and unconventional narrative.
Burial Rites has won many awards, and been nominated for even more. After its publication in 2014, Hannah Kent has gone on to co-found a literary journal called "Kill Your Darlings", as well as write a number of a short stories published in prominent places such as the Guardian, The Age, and Harper's BAZAAR.
