Grendel's Mother

by Diana Stout

Overview

Late 5^th century, early 6^th century, Denmark -

A 15-year-old girl dreams of freedom, with a desire to marry the young man she loves, but her father tells her that she's to wed a widower with young children, which she rejects initially. Then, a horrific event changes her life forever. Pregnant and having brought shame to her family and community, she is sacrificed to the dragon for death, but instead, the dragon saves her unbeknownst to her family and the community.

This fantasy medieval tale, takes a woman from the pages of Beowulf, giving voice to her journey of societal injustice and her love of Nature that enables her to survive in the wild alone, where she gives birth and raises her child—deemed a monster—entirely on her own. From his birth, she battles to keep Grendel safe from himself and, then later, from others who would do him harm.

That child is Grendel, and she is Grendel’s mother.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780997422337
Publisher:	Sharpened Pencils Productions LLC
Publication date:	03/29/2018
Edition description:	Large Print ed.
Pages:	212
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.45(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Diana Stout, MFA, PhD is a screenwriter, author, former English professor, an award-winning writer of multiple genres. She considers herself a medievalist without the degrees.

Her favorite movies and reading material include The Game of Thrones, Vikings, Dragonheart, and everything King Arthur.

Grendel's Mother was born from the studies of Beowulf, realizing that this character had no voice. And then she became hearing the character's voice...and the story began to unfold...

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

The Story Begins

About the Author

Other Titles

How to Write a Review

Editorial Reviews

"A tautly woven tale around a character often ignored in literature and offers the reader insight into how she became the frightful figure in Beowulf. . . .a story of abandonment, desperation, survival and strength. How surprised I was to find myself rooting for a character I had always thought of as menacing."

"Presents a graphic description of village life in medieval times, especially for women of the times. . . .a survivor who uses her love of nature and her determination to live and protect the life of her unborn child to make a home in a cave deep in the forest."

"I highly recommend it. Gripping tale!"

“Wrapping her setting in a dark and mysterious atmosphere, Ms. Stout presents a story of abandonment, desperation, survival and strength. How surprised I was to find myself rooting for a character I had always thought of as menacing. I love when an author can cause a paradigm shift in the telling of a tale, and Ms. Stout has certainly done that. The motifs of water, dandelions and the forest vs. the settlement add layers of meaning to the story.”

“I really loved the character of Grendel’s Mother. She is very relatable and sympathetic. At first, she is very naive and idealistic. However, due to the cruelties of life, her dreams are taken away. It is because of the injustice in her world that she hardens a hatred for those who have done her harm. I also found her to be a strong, wise, and resourceful woman. She is a woman who has not given up and fights for herself and her son. She also loves her son very much and tries her best to protect him. She is also very respectful to nature. Thus, this woman is not the monster as she is portrayed in Beowulf.”

From the Publisher