The Bell in the Lake
As long as anyone could remember, the Sister Bells had rung over the narrow valley, with a sound so rich and powerful that three masses were all it took to render the bell-ringer deaf. The bells were forged in remembrance of the twins Halfrid and Gunhild Hekne, who were conjoined from the hips down. There was always an air of something greater about the twins, as if they belonged to a different, more powerful world altogether, and one of the tapestries they wove was said to foretell the future.
In 1879, a young pastor, just graduated, moves into the rectory where nineteen-year-old Astrid is in service. From Germany a young stranger arrives with grand visions for the parish. The old stave church that has housed the bells for centuries faces an uncertain future, and soon the village is subjected to sudden changes and unyielding wills.
The Bell in the Lake is a rich story about old ways clashing with new ideas, about dark struggles and sun-baked stones, about two church bells with an otherworldly tone that carries whispers of eternity.
The Sister Bells Trilogy Vol. 1
«Wonderful historical novel.»
«He writes about silver sister bells, but Lars Mytting may have found a golden ticket with this new novel. The author is sharp as tack from the get-go, and never drops the ball.»
«The Bell in the Lake is exciting. A real page-turner.»
«Sensuous and at the same time systematic about local legend, jealousy and grief.»
«Lars Mytting’s historical novel is captivating and engaging. With Mytting’s powerful style of storytelling, a well-constructed narrative, and detailed knowledge of carpentry, fly fishing and stave churches, it is very likely that he will reach a large audience this time around as well.»
«When Lars Mytting shows his skills as a storyteller and his knowledge of history, one is easily impressed.»
«Yes, Lars Mytting serves up a wonderful story. Here we get local history, drama, legends, superstition and love. With his last novel, The Sixteen Trees of the Somme, Mytting proved that he can construct masterful plots and magnificent characters. With The Bell in the Lake, he does it again. [...] Lars Mytting has written another winner. The Bell in the Lake will chime all autumn and well into Christmas. Probably even longer.»
«Splendid historical novel. […] Mytting succeeds with this period piece because he follows the components of his character’s lives closely; lives anchored by customs, survival techniques, drama, passed-down wisdom and superstition. […] It stands out as one of the best Norwegian books this autumn. It is likely to tower in the bookshops and give several people reason to walk around with dollar signs in their eyes.»
«The Bell in the Lake is a powerful historical novel that carries all elements of realism and romance, believable down to the smallest detail and conveyed in a clear language that also incorporates elements from Mytting's own dialect. One can quite simply give in and let oneself become enthralled by this great story that may be smarter than both the author and the reader. No author can hope for a better testimony.»
«Lars Mytting’s exquisite sensuousness is intact […] He is a great storyteller who writes engagingly, inventively and clearly. At his best, the sensibility of his prose is exquisite, testifying to a physically grounded familiarity with many of the world's things and phenomena.»
«Vivid tapestry of stories. […] Lars Mytting has written a clever and engaging historical novel. […] What makes The Bell in the Lake an unusually good novel, is the fact that the drama is tied both to lives and ways of life in the past and the present.»