I’ve been delaying this post, thinking I’d borrow a hard copy of the book from the friend who recommended it, because this Kindle title page is SO BORING and, also, does NOT give you a sense of how EPIC this book is. 1168 pages!

But, ugh, the backlog is tormenting me. It’s been…more than 2 months since I posted a book.

Daughter of Lavrans
happily ever after
not always happy

What should I say about this book? Well, I’m terrible at recapping it, but my friend Katie, who convinced me to read it, said it’s a lot like what would have happened if Romeo & Juliet hadn’t died. Or, any star-crossed lovers, really. The first book (of three) is of the lovers meeting, falling in love, making rash choices, etc. And then the story continues, showing how their impulsiveness will affect their lives, and their children, for decades to come.

So, maybe this is another epic, like Middlemarch, that I’d summarize with, “Don’t marry a fool.”

What was interesting about this book, to me, was the depiction of 14th-century Norway. There was a lot of Catholicism, a lot of mysticism, and a lot of shame and secrecy tied up with those.

Also, the ending, which I will not spoil, was a total shock/surprise, but accurate for the setting.