A new novel by the author of "Sixteen Trees of Somme".
A gripping epic novel—Norway’s #1 bestseller.
A fascinating story of Norwegian culture, the harsh life of rural folk, and the legend of two bells.
For as long as people can remember, the wooden church bells have rung over the lost village of Butangen in Norway. They say that sometimes the bells ring on their own, foretelling trouble. Young Astrid is different from other girls in the village. She dreams of a life made not only of marriage, having children, and death—so she has her own plan for life.
But with the arrival of the young pastor, Kai Sveigord, everything changes. Kai wants to tear down the old church, with its images of pagan deities and its supernatural bells, and he has already contacted the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, which sends its talented architecture student, Gerhard Schönauer, to Butangen.
Astrid must make a decision. Does she choose her homeland and her pastor, or is she destined for an uncertain future in Germany? Then she hears the bells…