Minerva

The Bell in the Lake

1 in stock

The Bell in the Lake

Author Lars Mytting

Publisher Maclehose Press

$34.00

Norway, 1880. Winter holds Butangen, a secluded village at the valley’s end, in its icy grip. The frozen lake keeps the dead unburied, while Astrid Hekne yearns for a life beyond the confines of marriage, motherhood, and endless toil on the land. The arrival of Pastor Kai Schweigaard, who assumes leadership of the parish with its ancient stave church adorned with pagan symbols, stirs unrest. Within the church tower reside two bells, forged centuries ago by Astrid’s ancestor in remembrance of conjoined twins, Halfrid and Gunhild Hekne, said to possess supernatural powers.

The villagers distrust the pastor’s determination to dismantle their age-old traditions, yet Astrid finds herself drawn to him. The arrival of Gerhard Schonauer, an architecture student from Dresden, with ambitious plans for the church, further complicates matters. Astrid, captivated by Gerhard’s sensitivity and foreign ways, faces a profound choice: loyalty to her homeland and the pastor, or an uncertain future in Germany.

Then, the bells begin to ring…

Translated from the Norwegian by Deborah Dawkin

1 in stock

SKU: 9780857059390 Categories: ,