(#gifted @maclehosepress) If you're in the mood for a contemplative, slower paced historical fiction novel then I recommend you pick up the first in a new trilogy from Norwegian author Lars Mytting, The Bell in the Lake. I was immersed in 19th century rural Norway for three days  and while I emerged feeling somewhat melancholy, I also felt enriched.

Set in 1880, The Bell in the Lake is hinged around a stave church in a rural village. This beautiful medieval structure is the centre of the village, but after the unfortunate death of an elderly woman who froze to death during Mass, the pastor decides the time is ripe to build a new church. Architects far away in Dresden are fascinated by these unique structures, and make an offer to buy the disassembled church, reconstructing it back in Saxony to preserve the history of Norwegian architecture. But within the stave church reside The Sister Bells, which many village folk believe to have supernatural powers...

Although there are mere whispers of folklore and magic, they are there, and certain pockets of the supernatural brought goosebumps up on my arms. Mytting weaves it in flawlessly, and it's easy to believe in folklore in a remote village surrounded by forest, where once the sun sets, darkness reigns impenetrable.

I liked the cast of characters very much. Astrid, who has rejected two suitors already and dreams of a more cultured life abroad; Pastor Kai Schweigaard, who grapples with his faith and struggles against bouts of anger; Gerhard Schönauer, a somewhat naive architecture student with a head full of dreams and a heart ready to love.

This is undoubtedly a rather bleak novel (birth and motherhood are never easy in the 1800s) but there are glimpses of hope. The book is beautifully translated by Deborah Dawkin, who handles the regional dialects and snatches of Norwegian folklore extremely well. The dialogue felt vibrant, and I liked how the villagers' dialect reminded me of Scottish and even Geordie accents!

I wouldn't recommend it universally but if you love slower paced historical fiction and Norway in particular, then definitely keep this trilogy on your radar!