Currently Reading-Kristin Lavransdatter

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143039164/104-0611184-6642350?n=283155

Upon the happy occasion of our marriage, our good friends at Eastside Community Church threw us a book shower. At the shower Sandra Hendricks gave me the older translation of Kristin's Lavransdatter which has been sitting on our bookshelf for two years now. After finishing reading the older translation of the book last month, I checked out the newer translation of the book from the library- which is a little easier to read and is suppose to be truer to the original text.

In preparation to giving birth next month, I am including an excerpt from the book- which I would strongly recommend reading. I hope my labor goes a little better than hers:)

"One of you must come and hold her,' she said, weeping. "We have no more strength. You must go to her, Gunnulf. There's no telling how this will end." Gunnulf stood up and tucked his prayer book inside his belt pouch. "You must come too, Erlend," said the woman.

A raw and broken howl met him in the doorway. Erlend stopped and shivered. He caught a glimpse of Kristin's contorted , unrecognizable face among the sobbing women. She was on her knees, and they were supporting her. Over by the door several servant women were kneeling at the benches; they were praying loudly and steadily. He threw himself down next to them and his his head in his arms. She screamed and screamed, and each time he felt himself freeze with incredulous horror. It couldn't possibly be like this.

He ventured to glance in her direction. Now Gunnulf was sitting on a stool in front of her and holding her under the arms. Fru Gunna was kneeling at her side, with her arms around Kristin's waist, but Kristin was fighting her, frightened to death, and trying to push the other woman away.

"Oh no, oh no, let me go- I can't do it- God, God help me..."...

Then, after a long, mad howl of terror, everything fell silent. Erlend heard the women rushing around; he didn't want to look up. Then he heard someone weeping loudly and he cringed again, not wanting to know.

Then Kristin shrieked once more- a piercing, wild cry of lament that didn't sound like the insane, inhuman animal cries of before. Erlend leaped up.

Gunnulf was bending down and holding on to Kristin, who was still on her knees. She was staring with deathly horror at something Fru Gunna was holding in a sheepskin. The raw and dark red shape looked like nothing more than the entrails from a slaughtered beast.

The priest pulled her close.

"Dear Kristin- you have given birth to as fine and handsome a son as any mother should thank God for- and he's breathing!"