Kristin Lavranstochter

In her great historical epic Kristin Lavransdatter, set in 14th-century Norway, Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset tells the life story of one passionate and headstrong woman. Painting a richly detailed backdrop, Undset immerses readers in the day-to-day life, social conventions and political and religious undercurrents of the period.

As a young girl, Kristin is deeply devoted to her father, a kind, courageous man. But when as a student in a convent school she meets the charming and impetuous Erlend Nikulaussøn, she defies her parents in pursuit of her own desires. Her saga continues through her marriage to Erlend, their tumultuous life together raising seven sons as Erlend seeks to strengthen his political influence, and finally their estrangement as the world around them tumbles into uncertainty.

With its captivating heroine and emotional potency, Kristin Lavransdatter is the masterwork of Norway's most beloved author — one of the 20th century's most prodigious and engaged literary minds — and a story that continues to enthrall.