My Men — Book Talk with Victoria Kielland & Damion Searls

See a book talk with Norwegian author Victoria Kielland on MY MEN, a fictional account of the first known female serial killer in American history, out now from Astra Publishing House! With translator Damion Searls at Scandinavia House on July 12, Kielland discussed her novel based on the true story of Norwegian maid turned Midwestern farmwife Belle Gunness, which explores Gunness' descent into inescapable madness. Among thousands of other Norwegian immigrants seeking freedom, Brynhild Størset emigrated to the American Upper Midwest in the late 19th century, changing her name and her life. As Bella, later Belle Gunness, she came in search of not only fortune and true faith but, most of all, love. In this literary reimagining of her harrowing true story, Kielland’s Belle grows increasingly alienated, ruthless, and perversely compelling in her pursuit of the American Dream. Raw, visceral, and altogether hypnotic, MY MEN is a brutal yet radically empathetic glimpse into the world of a woman consumed by desire. Purchase the book here: https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/my-men-9781662601927/ Learn more about programming at Scandinavia House: https://www.scandinaviahouse.org “This fascinating, off-kilter novel about a female serial killer is an unexpectedly thrilling read.” —Karl Ove Knausgård, author of My Struggle and The Morning Star “Kielland’s dense, lyrical novel offers both insight and opacity . . . Despite the subject matter, this novel is not your typical thriller. The language, in Searls’ translation, is dense, poetic, and deeply figurative.” —Kirkus Reviews #booktalk #literaryfiction #historicalfiction