"In the turbulent thirteenth-century Norway of Sigrid Undset's epic masterpiece, bloodlines and loyalties often supersede law, and the crown and the church vie for power and wealth. Vows, the first book in the ... Olav Audunss2n tetralogy, presents a richly imagined world split between pagan codes of retribution and the constraints of Christian piety--all of which threaten to destroy the lives of two young people torn between desires of the heart and the dictates of family and fortune."--Publisher's description.
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It's been 3 years since I read the first installment of Undset's Olav tetralogy. Here, Olav and Ingunn start their life as a properly married couple in 14th century Norway, but all their doubts and pains are still grounded in the events from the first book. A little summary at the beginning could have been good :)
Undset's writing still has this calming quality on me, the way she has her protagonists battle their inner turmoil while observing the nature around them. The wild sea beating at the cliff, the sweet sickly smell of willow tree flowers, the harsh nature of the Norwegian winter. Amidst it all questions of sin and guilt, of God's punishment, of the local customs at the time of paying retributions for your sins, of gossip and human nature.
I enjoyed this more than the first part, there was a smoother flow to the narration I felt, which kept me invested in the characters. Even though there was too much misery by the end.
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2 primary booksThe Master of Hestviken is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 1925 with contributions by Sigrid Undset and Tiina Nunnally.
