Kristin Lavransdatter : The Garland - the Mistress of Husaby

From Nobel Prize winning author Sigrid Undset, The Garland is a captivating coming-of-age story set to the vivid backdrop of 14th-century Norway. This classic romance novel is the first installment in the much-loved Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy.

Kristin Lavransdatter is the headstrong daughter of a noble Norwegian family who does her best to rebel against them at every opportunity. When she is sent to be straightened out at a nunnery, Kristin’s life alters forever, much to the horror of her father. Despite being betrothed to another, Kristin finds herself falling into the tangled web of an excommunicated member of the Catholic church.

Sigrid Undset weaves themes of corruption, religion, sin and forbidden love through a beautiful presentation of life in 14th century Norway. This historical fiction novel depicts a young girl’s struggle with faith and family obligation in a story that is still as relevant to modern-day life as it was when it was first published in 1920.

Republished by Read & Co. Books, The Garland is now in a new edition featuring an excerpt from Six Scandinavian Novelists by Alrik Gustafrom. This volume is a highly recommended read for fans of historical fiction and collectors of Sigrid Undset’s work.

Sigrid Undset (1882-1949) was a Norwegian-Danish author born in Kalundborg, Denmark. Her best-known work is the historical fiction trilogy, Kristin Lavransdatter, published between 1920 and 1922. The books capture life in medieval Norway from the perspective of one woman, from birth to death. Despite her atheist upbringing, Undset converted to Catholicism in 1924 and most of her following work reflects her strong, religious beliefs. In 1928, Undset won the Nobel Prize for Literature.