Collections#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Stages on the Road |
1934 |
Buy |
| Men, Women and Places |
1939 |
Buy |
| The Unknown Sigrid Undset: Jenny and Other Works |
2001 |
Buy |
Kristin Lavransdatter Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Bridal Wreath / The Wreath |
1920 |
Buy |
| The Wreath |
1920 |
N/A |
| The Wife |
1921 |
N/A |
| The Wife / The Mistress of Husaby |
1921 |
Buy |
| Kristin Lavransdatter, III: The Cross |
1922 |
N/A |
| The Cross |
1922 |
Buy |
Master of Hestviken Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Axe |
1925 |
Buy |
| Olav Audunssøn: II. Providence |
1925 |
N/A |
| The Snake Pit |
1925 |
Buy |
| In the Wilderness |
1927 |
Buy |
| The Son Avenger |
1929 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Happy Times in Norway |
1942 |
Buy |
| Return to the Future |
1942 |
Buy |
Olav Audunssøn Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Vows |
2020 |
Buy |
| Providence |
2021 |
Buy |
| Crossroads |
2022 |
Buy |
| Winter |
2023 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Marta Oulie |
1907 |
Buy |
| Gunnar’s Daughter |
1909 |
Buy |
| Jenny |
1911 |
Buy |
| The Wild Orchid |
1929 |
Buy |
| The Burning Bush |
1930 |
Buy |
| Ida Elisabeth |
1932 |
Buy |
| Madame Dorthea |
1939 |
Buy |
| Catherine of Siena |
1951 |
Buy |
| Saga of Saints |
1992 |
Buy |
Sigrid Undset (1882-1949) grew up in Norway surrounded by her father’s passion for archaeology and the Middle Ages. That early exposure shaped her life’s work. She published her first novel, Marta Oulie, in 1907, and spent the next decade writing realistic fiction about modern women in Christiania (now Oslo). Her turning point came with Kristin Lavransdatter (1920-1922), a trilogy set in medieval Norway that drew on her deep knowledge of Norse history and Catholic theology.
After converting to Catholicism in 1924, Undset wrote the Master of Hestviken tetralogy, another medieval saga centered on guilt, faith, and redemption. She also produced standalone novels, religious biographies, and essay collections. When Germany invaded Norway in 1940, she fled to the United States, where she wrote non-fiction about the war and Norwegian life. She returned home after the war and remained a towering figure in Scandinavian literature until her death in 1949.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Sigrid Undset written?
Sigrid Undset has written 29 books across six series.
What was Sigrid Undset's first book?
Sigrid Undset’s first book is Marta Oulie, published in 1907.
What is Sigrid Undset best known for?
Undset is best known for the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy, a sprawling saga set in 14th-century Norway that follows one woman from girlhood through old age. The trilogy earned her the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928.