The Bell in the Lake
The Sister Bells Trilogy, Book 1
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The Bell in the Lake
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Narrated by:
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Roger May
About this listen
The first in a rich historical trilogy that draws on legend, by a literary craftsman and the author of The Sixteen Trees of the Somme.
Norway, 1880. Winter is hard in Butangen, a village secluded at the end of a valley. The lake has frozen and for months the ground is too hard to bury the dead. Astrid Hekne dreams of a life beyond all this, beyond marriage, children and working the land to the end of her days. Then Pastor Kai Schweigaard takes over the small parish, with its 700-year-old stave church carved with pagan deities. The two bells in the tower were forged by Astrid's forefather in the 16th century, in memory of conjoined twins Halfrid and Gunhild Hekne. They are said to hold supernatural powers.
The villagers are wary of the pastor and his resolve to do away with their centuries-old traditions, though Astrid also finds herself drawn to him. And then a stranger arrives from Dresden, with grand plans for the church itself. For headstrong Astrid this may be a provocation too far.
Talented architecture student Gerhard Schönauer is an improbable figure in this rugged community. Astrid has never met anyone like him; he seems so different, so sensitive. She finds that she must make a choice: for her homeland and the pastor, or for an uncertain future in Germany.
Then the bells begin to ring....
Translated from the Norwegian by Deborah Dawkin.
With the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
©2020 Deborah Dawkin, Lars Mytting (P)2020 Quercus Editions LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Love, suspense, nature and superstition are woven together in this powerful novel" (Maja Lunde, author of The History of Bees)
"An exquisitely atmospheric novel...The Bell in the Lake does what fiction promises: to steal you away to another world and ask you, if unfairly, to leave a little of your heart behind" (Derek B. Miller, author of Norwegian by Night)
"Lyrical, melancholy and with beautifully drawn characters, this pitches old beliefs against new ways with a haunting delicacy that rings true." (Daily Mail)
What listeners say about The Bell in the Lake
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr Agnes Crisp
- 15-05-22
Moving and informative
I have norwegian parents who married in a wooden church , and the story was so very moving .the hardship so great and the weather so accurate . A wonderful book to listen to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David
- 21-12-22
Not really my thing, or so I thought…
…but it’s strangely compelling; enough for me to buy the subsequent parts of the trilogy. Pretty good narrator, too. Competent rendition of the bits of German and, I imagine, the Norwegian, too. Worth trying - and sticking with.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tanea Sheils
- 09-08-20
Amazing Reading
I am can't wait for the next book. Beautiful writing and made me cry in the end.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- susan cumisky
- 06-09-20
A wonderful book.
Must be one of the best books ever written. Thank you to all of you concerned.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chris Campbell
- 31-01-23
An absolute wonder
Such a wonderful book,
As a village priest myself )in England) I loved the story of the church, the village and their priest. The humanity of the story is its beauty and the writing is sublime.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss Effie Rose Jessop
- 06-07-21
Great story, I warmed to the narrator
At first I found the narrators voice a bit dull, almost like an accountant or something, but I warmed to it. Story is great and I look forward to the next book
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Mrs Mayer
- 17-09-20
Had Potential
This started out well, but meandered and, for all that it was clear the author intended well-developed characters, I felt they were lacking authentic emotion and dimension.
Also, a warning for the squeamish or for those who are pregnant and sensitive or nervous, there is a disturbing birth sequence, nightmarish really, that I expect would be haunting if read in certain situations. I’m on the squeamish side and actually fast-forwarded through part of it (something I don’t normally do).
I returned this because I didn’t enjoy it and wouldn’t recommend it, but it gets quite a few good reviews on goodreads and elsewhere, so perhaps it’s just me. I’d recommend at least reading a few more reviews if you’re thinking of getting it.
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