Synopsis:
Kristin Lavransdatter is a girl in 14th Century Norway, betrothed to one man but desperately in love with another.

Review:
Written in 1927, this book is the first in a trilogy, and the author was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature. I was captivated by Kristin’s story, from the portrait of medieval life to Kristin’s strength and weakness, to the vivid supporting characters and parade of human emotion. I felt so close to Kristin, so in touch with everything that was happening to her, that I found myself gasping over the things that happened to her, and the choices she made. There was a strong spiritual thread running through the story that didn’t shy away from the darker emotions that humans experience, and presented as truthful a picture of virtue and sin as I’ve ever seen.

Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)