The Bell in the Lake

The Sister Bells, Book 1

By: Lars Mytting

Narrated by: Roger May

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. In the secluded village of Butangen at the end of the valley, headstrong Astrid dreams of a life beyond marriage, hard work and children. And then Pastor Kai Schweigaard comes into her life, taking over the 700-year-old stave church with its carvings of pagan deities.

The two church bells were forged by her forefather in the 16th century in memory of conjoined sisters Halfrid and Gunhild Hekne and are said to have supernatural powers. But now the pastor wants to tear it down, to replace it with a modern, larger church.

Though Astrid is drawn to him, this may be a provocation too far.

Talented architecture student Gerhard Schonauer arrives from Dresden to oversee the removal of the church and its reconstruction in the German city. Everything about elegant Schonauer is so different, so cosmopolitan. Astrid must make a choice: for her homeland and the pastor or for a daunting and uncertain future in Germany.

Then the bells begin to toll....

©2018 Lars Mytting (P)2020 Bolinda Publishing

Epic Story

The story of sister bells and their connection to people and place will haunt you long after you've finished the book. Excellent narration.

Tale of Norway

This is a beautiful story of love and hardship presenting in depth characters, rich descriptions of the natural world and lore surrounding a stave church.

Brings to life my heritage:)

Being of Norwegian descent, I had only ever known a few details about my ancestors. I’ve read and enjoyed several other historical fiction books of other cultures, but this was the first piece of fiction about Norway I’d ever read. Especially poignant was that it was set during the time my great great grandparents would have been preparing to leave for America. It its a lovely, thoughtful well written book for anyone to enjoy, Norwegian or otherwise. I also recommend looking up interviews with the author on YouTube etc in both English and Norwegian with English subtitles. Fascinating to hear that the author himself, born and raised in Norway learned so much about Norwegian history while preparing to write this trilogy. He’s a gentle soul and has a lovely spirit.

Wonderful

What a beautiful story. Narration was excellent. So glad I listened. Can’t wait for book two to be recorded. Thank You!

Wow.

Was not expecting to enjoy this book so much.
Rich characters, setting, historical context. The storyline continued to take unexpected turns. Excellent narration. Want the rest of the trilogy!