Burial Rites/No Fixed Abode (REVIEWS) in Back entries: 2013 - 2015

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (pages: 338, including Author’s Note and Acknowledgements) is set in Iceland in 1829. Agnes Magnusdottir is sentenced to death for her involvement in the murder of two men, and finds herself sent to live out her last days on District Officer Jon Jonsson’s farm. The Jonsson family find it difficult to accept the situation, while Agnes’ spiritual advisor finds himself curious as to why she’s asked for him by name.

This was a decent read and based on a true story - one of those books I’d recommend to people if they’ve read Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (similar themes). I know very little about Icelandic history, and this book makes me want to hunt down more books on the country - fact and fiction.

No Fixed Abode by Charlie Carroll (pages: 283, including Acknowledgements) is a mix of travelogue and current affairs. After Carroll loses his job, he decides to become a tramp, take some basic supplies and walk from Cornwall to London to try and get an understanding of what it’s like. It’s certainly a good introduction into the subject of homeless and the attitudes that those with homes and those without have towards each other. A good introduction to the subject of tramping and homelessness and another subject I think I’ll go and find out more about.

Last updated January 01, 2015