Mystery – READING WITH KT

August 25, 2020January 31, 2024

The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim [Review]

This is a riveting, highly enjoyable read centred on the experiences of a Korean American woman, Margot, and her mother, Mina, a first generation Korean immigrant.

Told through these two narrators, we flip between 2014 (Margot) and 1987-8 (Mina) as we piece together the story of Mina’s life, in the aftermath of her sudden death.

June 22, 2020January 31, 2024

Visiting the Burial Rites Locations in Iceland

Before moving to Iceland, my partner and I were keen to read lots of books written by Icelandic authors or set in Iceland.

One such book that we both enjoyed reading was Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent and The Sealwoman's Gift by Sally Magnusson laying upon a table by a sun lounger, next to a pool in Greece.

Burial Rites tells the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, a young woman accused of the murder of Natan Ketilsson, which took place at a remote farm in 1829.

Agnes is placed at a different remote farm during the trial. She is housed, rather reluctantly, by a local family as she faces the final days leading up to her execution.

There is great mystery in the book regarding whether or not Agnes actually committed the murder and, as the story unravels, we learn more about what happened on the night in question.

While it is not known exactly what happened on that night, in Burial Rites, Hannah Kent imagines what may have happened. By doing so, she invites us to consider the life lived by Agnes and the circumstances leading up to her execution.