In Northern Iceland in 1829, Agnes Magnúsdóttir is sentenced to death for the brutal murder of two men. She is forced to spend the time leading up to her execution at the farm of Jón Jónsson, along with his family, his wife, and their two daughters. The family, terrified to coexist with a convicted murderer, avoids speaking to her. Only Tóti, who has been appointed as her spiritual advisor, has contact with her, trying to save her soul.

As time passes and winter arrives, the work on the farm brings them all closer together. Agnes's story unfolds while the question of her true guilt or innocence also arises. Based on a true story, Burial Rites is a deeply moving novel about personal freedom: how we see ourselves, how others see us, and how far one will go for love.

Through her descriptions of Northern Iceland, where each day is a struggle for survival, Hannah Kent poses a crucial question: how can a woman endure when her life depends on the stories of others.

The novel has received the following awards: ABIA Literary Fiction Book Of The Year 2014, ABA Nielsen Bookdata Bookseller’s Choice Award 2014, FAW Christina Stead Award 2013, 2014 Indie Awards Debut Fiction Of The Year, Victorian Premier’s Literary Award People’s Choice Award 2014. It was shortlisted for: The Stella Prize 2014, The Baileys Women’s Prize For Fiction 2014, The Victorian Premier’s Prize For Fiction 2014, The ALS Gold Medal 2014, Guardian First Book Award 2013, Nib Waverley Award For Literature 2013.