This the second book in Sigrid Undset’s masterpiece "Kristin Lavransdatter." In Book One, "The Wreath," Kristin has disobeyed her holy parents and committed adultery with a dashing but irresponsible knight named Erlend Nikulausson. Now married to Erlend, Kristin is beginning to learn that you must drink a freely-chosen cup of iniquity to the dregs.
All of Kristin’s dreams of her dramatic husband begin to crash down around her head. In this second book, Undset shows the necessity of begging for God’s forgiveness when we sin. Otherwise the wages of sin will overwhelm us. Kirstin and Erlend are both faced with these heart-searing choices in "The Wife."
Having seduced young Kristin Lavransdatter and taken her for his wife, Erlend Nikulausson seems to have gotten away with breaking the commandments. He is unable to grasp why Kristin is so guilt-ridden by these same events. Pregnant with child, Kristin is tormented by her fall from grace and desires to go to the shrine of St. Olaf and be forgiven. Erlend’s brother Gunnulf Nikulausson is a priest. Gunnulf has all the virtue lacking in Erlend and bluntly confronts his brother about his dishonest scheming with Kristin. Unable to answer his brother’s accusations, Erlend flees from the house and rides through the forest with bow and three hounds.
Meanwhile, Kristin, with her newborn son, walks 20 miles barefoot to the shrine of St. Olaf to beg for God’s forgiveness. There at the shrine, Kristin begins to experience the merciful forgiveness of her Savior.
Discarding her sinful past, Kristin returns to Husaby, to manage the estate she and Erlend own. There she begins giving birth to a number of sons. Erlend, ever restless, becomes oppressed with all the virtue Kristin is bringing to the estate. She is so responsible that the manor begins to thrive. But all of this peace and prosperity burns in Erlend’s heart. He wants to be free of responsibility and the demands of his growing sons. Kristin’s dedication to the boys also irritates him. He wants what he wants, when he wants it.
Now Kristin’s zeal for the faith and her family forces Erlend to face who he really is. How can he escape from all this familial benevolence? A war suddenly looms against Sweden. O blessed conflict, now Erlend volunteers to defend Norway from the attackers. He is secretly glad to be rid of his family obligations. For months he is gone patrolling the coast of Norway and rejoices in a simple world of attack nor be attacked.
But when he returns to Husaby, he once again is thrust into the loving family he wants to abandon for a carefree, lustful life. He is tormented by his own irresponsible desires. Is he just a selfish man devoid of responsibility? How do Kristen and his sons respond to Erlend? Can he learn to accept the responsibilities of being a husband and father? What choices do Kristin and Erlend make? To find out the answers to these questions, read Book Two, "The Wife" of the Kristin Lavransdatter series.
Undset has a particular genius in developing the response of the characters in the series to sin, mercy and forgiveness. Modern day people struggle with the same issues today that Undset discusses. "The Wife," sometimes entitled "The Mistress of Husaby," poignantly tells of courage and weakness in human nature. But undergirding this powerful story is the sustaining and healing power of God. I hope you get a chance to read these fine books.
