The Cross

by Sigrid Undset

Overview

First published in English in 1927, “The Cross” is the final book in the “Kristin Lavransdatter” trilogy, which depicts the life of a Norwegian woman from her childhood to her death in the 14th century. The first book in the series, “The Wreath”, follows the young Kristin as she clashes with her family, who are religious and prosperous farmers, while she falls in love with, and eventually marries, a man that her parents do not approve of. In the second book, “The Wife”, Kristin finally faces adult responsibilities and concerns as she makes a life with her husband. She atones for the sins of her youth and rises to the challenges of raising a large family and running an estate while married to an irresponsible and impulsive man. In the final installment of the trilogy, “The Cross”, we find Kristin and her family returning to her childhood farm, which is the only property left to them given the loss of her husband’s inheritance. There she struggles to gain the respect of her community while dealing with a sequence of family and personal conflicts as the work advances towards its tragic conclusion. Recognized for its realistic portrayal of 14th century Norwegian life, the “Kristin Lavransdatter” trilogy is the principal body of work that would win Sigrid Undset the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781420981452
Publisher:	Digireads.com Publishing
Publication date:	01/05/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Sigrid Undset is a major figure in early twentieth-century literature. A Norwegian born in Denmark in 1881, she worked with the Norwegian underground during the Second World War, fled to Sweden in 1940, and later came to the United States. She is the author of many works of fiction as well as several books for young readers and a number of nonfiction titles. Her novels encompass a variety of settings and time periods, ranging from medieval romances such as the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy—generally considered to be her masterwork—and The Master of Hestviken tetralogy to modern novels such as The Winding Road, Ida Elisabeth, and The Faithful Wife. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928. Sigrid Undset died in 1949.