Plot Summary

Grendel's Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife

Susan Signe Morrison
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Grendel's Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015

Book Brief

Susan Signe Morrison

Grendel's Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015
Book Details
Pages

237

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Scandinavia • 6th Century

Publication Year

2015

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14+ years

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Super Short Summary

Grendel's Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife by Susan Signe Morrison reimagines the tale of Brimhild, originally depicted as a monster in the epic Beowulf, as a strong woman navigating a patriarchal Medieval society. Found as an infant with mystical objects, Brimhild is raised by a fisherman and later marries King Hrothgar, but she and her son Grendel are eventually outcast as monstrous by their people. The book includes themes of violence, exile, and discrimination.

Mysterious

Dark

Melancholic

Fantastical

Contemplative

Reviews & Readership

4.2

178 ratings

69%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Grendel's Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife by Susan Signe Morrison offers a fresh and imaginative retelling of the Beowulf saga from a female perspective. Reviews praise its lyrical prose and rich historical detail, though some mention uneven pacing. Readers seeking a feminist twist on classic tales will find much to appreciate.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Grendel's Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife?

Readers captivated by feminist retellings of classic tales, as seen in Madeline Miller’s Circe or Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, will enjoy Grendel’s Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife by Susan Signe Morrison. This novel artfully reimagines the Beowulf epic from the perspective of a key but often overlooked female character.

4.2

178 ratings

69%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

237

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Scandinavia • 6th Century

Publication Year

2015

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14+ years

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