Clocking in at more than 1,100 pages — with a tongue-tripping title to boot — the novel Kristin Lavransdatter, about a rebellious young woman who defies the sexual mores of 14th-century Norway — might not sound like an obvious choice for a Catholic book club.
Yet, more than a century after its publication, the book has become a staple for countless Catholic literary circles in the United States, prompted by the arrival of a readable new English translation from Penguin Books in 2005 and a compelling narrative built around a flawed but relatable heroine, who struggles with the consequences of sin before ultimately finding forgiveness and peace.
Now, there’s a surprising twist to the story: The novel’s Norwegian author, Nobel Prize-winner Sigrid Undset, whose own real-life conversion to the Catholic faith shares similar themes, is on a path to possible sainthood.
On July 8, Bishop Frederik Hansen of Oslo announced that a canonization cause will be opening for Undset, who, he said, lived a life of virtue and holiness (following an unconventional life before being received into the Church).
“She showed a constant and practical concern for the poor. She gave of herself in caring for her daughter, in
