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Grendel's Mother
Late 5th century, early 6th century, Denmark - The only girl in a family of boys dreams of freedom, with a desire to marry the young man she loves. Her father tells her that she's to wed a widower with young children, which she fights. 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.
216 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2016
12 people are currently reading
488 people want to read
About the author
Diana Stout
27 books213 followersDiana Stout, MFA, PhD, is an award-winning writer: screenwriter, author, blogger, writing coach, and former English professor of writing classes.
She writes across the genres: thriller, literary, romance, resource how-to guides, a cookbook, and women's fiction.
She writes full time and travels with a crowd: characters demanding she write their story next and those who have crossed through the veil.
When not writing, she enjoys movies, puzzles, and lunching with friends.
She writes across the genres: thriller, literary, romance, resource how-to guides, a cookbook, and women's fiction.
She writes full time and travels with a crowd: characters demanding she write their story next and those who have crossed through the veil.
When not writing, she enjoys movies, puzzles, and lunching with friends.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 13, 2018
Having a story behind an often overlooked character is a nice treat for those of us that love Beowulf’s story. I’m not a very big fan of long novels with barely any dialogue, but the author has a talent for storytelling that kept me turning the pages. What I liked mostly about this book are the raw unfiltered emotions. Seemingly a simple novel at first, I do believe this is a book that I will go back and reread a second time after the first impressions settle. I’m left with a feeling that I didn’t fully grasped the message between the lines. Women have been considered a property throughout history with no voice and no rights. I’m impressed with the authors ability to portray the emotions of a young woman living through her worst nightmare on top of all limitations society places on her for simply being born a female. It’s definitely an eye opener about the inner strength of a person determined to survive and how circumstances can awaken the monster that lurks inside all of us. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for the thinkers and those that like to analyze human behavior like myself, this is a book I will definitely recommend.
August 17, 2020
. . . Her family, outraged by the unwanted pregnancy, sacrifices her to the local dragon who, intrigued by her bravery, saves her from clear death. Alone in the wilderness, she becomes one with Nature, then raises a monster no one wants.
She is Grendel's Mother. . .
Set in the late-5th, early 6th century in Denmark, Grendel’s Mother is the journey of a girl who dreams of freedom, with a desire to marry the young many she loves, when her father tells her that she'll wed a widower with young children instead. 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 the dragon saves her instead, unbeknownst to her family and the community.
Grendel’s Mother is the story of social injustice, a girl’s love for Nature where she discovers special skills that enable her to survive, to give birth, and to raise a baby—deemed a monster—in the wild, entirely on her own. From his birth on, she battles to keep Grendel safe from himself and, then later, from others who would do him harm.
Our Review:
A remarkable story, told in narrative style, is gripping for its intensity, savage for its description of Her bravery and drive to survive the horrors Nature often brings to one alone and seemingly defenseless. She is intrepid. And inspiring.
On a scale of 1-5, Grendel's Mother deserves a 6.
Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews
July 17, 2016
I thank Dr. Diana Stout for giving me a free soft copy of Grendel's Mother. I just loved it. The author should be commended for taking an unnamed minor character of Beowolf and making her the protagonist of a book. And she dies in the end, so how does she end the story? Worth reading again. Even with minor editing glitches I found, I have no choice but to give it 5 stars. More power to Diana Stout's word processor!
June 8, 2022
It was sooo good. As a mother, this book really spoke to me and the struggles of women & mothers. It was a joy to read.
February 16, 2022
"'Now I am the creation of their mind, magnified by their fear.'"
Those familiar with the Old English tale of Beowulf will already know of the name Grendel and of his mother. The character of Grendel’s Mother takes over where her son left off once he’s killed whilst terrorising Hrothgar, and she in turn perishes. It’s been a very long while since I studied Beowulf, and so knowing how much of this story ties up I couldn’t be certain (so I probably should go read it again), which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Grendel’s Mother tell of a girl who feels put upon with her lot in life and yearns for something more exciting. With an easily angered and sometimes violent father, and a mother who, on one hand shares the secret knowledge of herbs and plants with her, and on the other doesn’t support her against the men in the family (or anywhere else). The girl feels a woman’s lot is not for her and she is just a cog in a machine she doesn’t control. Written in first-person present tense and we don’t learn her name – which makes sense in this story—however, the character was a bit modern in comparison with the era, i.e. the sense of independence over duty; both featured in the medieval mind in the era Beowulf was written and was what caused a lot of conflict for both men and women.
After being raped and trying to hide it, she’s put out for sacrifice to the local dragon, who instead takes her away and doesn’t kill her (she doesn’t eat “her own” – females). And so she carries on in the forest, forming a distant relationship with the dragon (though we don’t see much of the dragon, though I assume it might be the dragon Beowulf later offs in his tale…).
I enjoyed the evolution of her character in the woodlands and then the cave, and the prose is sharp and to the point, which leads you through it at a good pace. I also like that there are no chapters, just scene breaks, which in in line with ancient epics. The author writes scripts too and it is fairly similar in style in that sense—it was done in a way that I was kept interested pretty much the whole way through. The character just gets on with it, and does her best to adapt to her crappy circumstances, whilst coming to terms with how harsh freedom can be. She learns that escape is unforgiving and uncomfortable, but at least she has it.
I found the finale a little odd. The story is fairly grounded the whole way through (even the dragon bits) but then it goes off on a bit of a tangent post-Grendel’s Mother’s death (spoiler, she dies at the end) with an odd winding up of her seeing her own body and invoking Nature with her spirit and feeling triumphant in accepting her (titular) name, which felt odd after being used to a more realistic-style (yes, still even the dragon bits!).
'To anyone who knew me in my other life, my name is forgotten, gone, eradicated from lips and minds alike, the result of the village decree.
To them, I no longer exist.
I am dead.'
There seems to be a need to make Grendel’s Mother a sympathetic character, who was wronged and led to revenge through love for her son, and I understand this. But to me she would be more sympathetic if this wasn’t connected to the Beowulf manuscript and Grendel didn’t go out and murder people for fun. Grendel’s Mother grew into a character that was strong and resourceful and seemingly with a good moral code – off the unfortunate examples she was given - so I didn’t really buy how she could hate Grendel’s addiction to killing and being a general arse, but then go practically mad when she finds her vicious, murderous son was killed by people he had been attacking. It would have made more sense to me for her to take Nature for what it was – you get what you give. Or better still, have watched her strength be absolutely shattered by her son’s control over her because she loved him so much--I'd have a mental breakdown with trying to bring that up. Seeing a gradual degradation of character can also serve sympathy, especially one who has been so wronged. But, of course, she had to avenge Grendel because that’s in the Beowulf tale and it already held an immovable moment in time; but the consequences there unfortunately didn’t quite marry up to the character that was clearly wanted for this story.
All in all, I enjoyed reading it and it was an interesting concept and journey—and I do not remember enough of Beowulf to know how much of Grendel’s Mother’s intentions were put on the page—but in the end I’m afraid I was still on the side of Beowulf. He was in the right, and Grendel started it.
Those familiar with the Old English tale of Beowulf will already know of the name Grendel and of his mother. The character of Grendel’s Mother takes over where her son left off once he’s killed whilst terrorising Hrothgar, and she in turn perishes. It’s been a very long while since I studied Beowulf, and so knowing how much of this story ties up I couldn’t be certain (so I probably should go read it again), which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Grendel’s Mother tell of a girl who feels put upon with her lot in life and yearns for something more exciting. With an easily angered and sometimes violent father, and a mother who, on one hand shares the secret knowledge of herbs and plants with her, and on the other doesn’t support her against the men in the family (or anywhere else). The girl feels a woman’s lot is not for her and she is just a cog in a machine she doesn’t control. Written in first-person present tense and we don’t learn her name – which makes sense in this story—however, the character was a bit modern in comparison with the era, i.e. the sense of independence over duty; both featured in the medieval mind in the era Beowulf was written and was what caused a lot of conflict for both men and women.
After being raped and trying to hide it, she’s put out for sacrifice to the local dragon, who instead takes her away and doesn’t kill her (she doesn’t eat “her own” – females). And so she carries on in the forest, forming a distant relationship with the dragon (though we don’t see much of the dragon, though I assume it might be the dragon Beowulf later offs in his tale…).
I enjoyed the evolution of her character in the woodlands and then the cave, and the prose is sharp and to the point, which leads you through it at a good pace. I also like that there are no chapters, just scene breaks, which in in line with ancient epics. The author writes scripts too and it is fairly similar in style in that sense—it was done in a way that I was kept interested pretty much the whole way through. The character just gets on with it, and does her best to adapt to her crappy circumstances, whilst coming to terms with how harsh freedom can be. She learns that escape is unforgiving and uncomfortable, but at least she has it.
I found the finale a little odd. The story is fairly grounded the whole way through (even the dragon bits) but then it goes off on a bit of a tangent post-Grendel’s Mother’s death (spoiler, she dies at the end) with an odd winding up of her seeing her own body and invoking Nature with her spirit and feeling triumphant in accepting her (titular) name, which felt odd after being used to a more realistic-style (yes, still even the dragon bits!).
'To anyone who knew me in my other life, my name is forgotten, gone, eradicated from lips and minds alike, the result of the village decree.
To them, I no longer exist.
I am dead.'
There seems to be a need to make Grendel’s Mother a sympathetic character, who was wronged and led to revenge through love for her son, and I understand this. But to me she would be more sympathetic if this wasn’t connected to the Beowulf manuscript and Grendel didn’t go out and murder people for fun. Grendel’s Mother grew into a character that was strong and resourceful and seemingly with a good moral code – off the unfortunate examples she was given - so I didn’t really buy how she could hate Grendel’s addiction to killing and being a general arse, but then go practically mad when she finds her vicious, murderous son was killed by people he had been attacking. It would have made more sense to me for her to take Nature for what it was – you get what you give. Or better still, have watched her strength be absolutely shattered by her son’s control over her because she loved him so much--I'd have a mental breakdown with trying to bring that up. Seeing a gradual degradation of character can also serve sympathy, especially one who has been so wronged. But, of course, she had to avenge Grendel because that’s in the Beowulf tale and it already held an immovable moment in time; but the consequences there unfortunately didn’t quite marry up to the character that was clearly wanted for this story.
All in all, I enjoyed reading it and it was an interesting concept and journey—and I do not remember enough of Beowulf to know how much of Grendel’s Mother’s intentions were put on the page—but in the end I’m afraid I was still on the side of Beowulf. He was in the right, and Grendel started it.
June 7, 2016
Grendel's Mother
by Diana Stout
Fantasy
Grendel’s mother (a 15-year-old girl at the start) is the narrator of the story and remains, from beginning to end, a nameless, faceless, nobody. As a girl of the time period (1000 a.d.-ish) she is seen more as property than cherished child by either of her parents. She is a vassal to be exploited, something to give away in a marriage arrangement meant to prosper her father, not herself. After being raped and impregnated by a stranger, her worth plummets when the prospective (ancient) bridegroom balks at the loss of her virginity. It is decided that she will become a sacrifice for the local dragon, to appease the town, her parents and...the dragon. After her “death” is when the story truly begins.
I have never read the centuries old epic poem BEOWULF. I didn’t even see the animated version of it, that came out a few years ago, starring the voice of Angelina Jolie. However, I’ve been around this old world long enough to pick up the basic theme of the story. So, it was somewhat easy to drop into the book GRENDEL’S MOTHER, by Diana Stout, which takes a very large look at what I’m told is a very small portion of the original story—the mother of Beowulf’s monster.
I was actually surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn’t really expecting to (since I’d never read Beowulf), however the author delves exclusively into the mother; it’s a separate story and totally her own.
Here’s what I liked about the story:
1. As readers, we’re given a great deal of information about how girls were treated ages ago. That information lends itself to this particular girl’s motivations for acting and reacting the way she does to the action that spur her forward in the story.
2. I truly liked that at 15, pregnant and alone, she’s able to not only survive her forced separation from society, but she thrives in her solitude. She learns to hunt, forage, protect herself and create a safe, comfortable home for her and the baby that arrives soon after. I love reading stories about women who can survive whatever life throws at them with relying on a man to take care of them. Don’t get me wrong, I love men. I have one of my own. But, women don’t have to be mousy, meek and good-for-nothings just because there is no man around.
3. I even liked that the author included information about how hard it was to mother Grendel. It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns and yet, she never stopped being his mother and loving him anyway.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
1. I would have liked to have seen a little more of Grendel’s growing up years. Just a little more. We saw that he wasn’t an angel to raise…but, I would have liked a little more insight into the possible causes for his depravity. Maybe it was in his father’s DNA—even though the story wasn’t about dad at all…maybe a little larger glimpse into that side of things would have helped???
2. I don’t want to give the ending away…but, I guess I have to say it seemed forced and rushed. I would have liked to have seen that painted with a little more detail.
Overall, the story is unique and entertaining. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy stories with a little bit of as adventurous thriller slant.
by Diana Stout
Fantasy
Grendel’s mother (a 15-year-old girl at the start) is the narrator of the story and remains, from beginning to end, a nameless, faceless, nobody. As a girl of the time period (1000 a.d.-ish) she is seen more as property than cherished child by either of her parents. She is a vassal to be exploited, something to give away in a marriage arrangement meant to prosper her father, not herself. After being raped and impregnated by a stranger, her worth plummets when the prospective (ancient) bridegroom balks at the loss of her virginity. It is decided that she will become a sacrifice for the local dragon, to appease the town, her parents and...the dragon. After her “death” is when the story truly begins.
I have never read the centuries old epic poem BEOWULF. I didn’t even see the animated version of it, that came out a few years ago, starring the voice of Angelina Jolie. However, I’ve been around this old world long enough to pick up the basic theme of the story. So, it was somewhat easy to drop into the book GRENDEL’S MOTHER, by Diana Stout, which takes a very large look at what I’m told is a very small portion of the original story—the mother of Beowulf’s monster.
I was actually surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. I wasn’t really expecting to (since I’d never read Beowulf), however the author delves exclusively into the mother; it’s a separate story and totally her own.
Here’s what I liked about the story:
1. As readers, we’re given a great deal of information about how girls were treated ages ago. That information lends itself to this particular girl’s motivations for acting and reacting the way she does to the action that spur her forward in the story.
2. I truly liked that at 15, pregnant and alone, she’s able to not only survive her forced separation from society, but she thrives in her solitude. She learns to hunt, forage, protect herself and create a safe, comfortable home for her and the baby that arrives soon after. I love reading stories about women who can survive whatever life throws at them with relying on a man to take care of them. Don’t get me wrong, I love men. I have one of my own. But, women don’t have to be mousy, meek and good-for-nothings just because there is no man around.
3. I even liked that the author included information about how hard it was to mother Grendel. It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns and yet, she never stopped being his mother and loving him anyway.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
1. I would have liked to have seen a little more of Grendel’s growing up years. Just a little more. We saw that he wasn’t an angel to raise…but, I would have liked a little more insight into the possible causes for his depravity. Maybe it was in his father’s DNA—even though the story wasn’t about dad at all…maybe a little larger glimpse into that side of things would have helped???
2. I don’t want to give the ending away…but, I guess I have to say it seemed forced and rushed. I would have liked to have seen that painted with a little more detail.
Overall, the story is unique and entertaining. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy stories with a little bit of as adventurous thriller slant.
May 14, 2016
Grendel’s Mother is one of the main antagonists in Beowulf. While reading the tale, the reader always cheers in delight when Beowulf kills Grendel’s Mother. Yet, is Grendel’s Mother really a monster or a villain? There is hardly any information about Grendel’s Mother, and she does not make an appearance till after Grendel is dead. In this novel, Grendel’s Mother is portrayed as a victim of injustice in a brutal world and a patriarchal society.
Grendel’s Mother is unnamed and she narrates this story. In this story, she dreams of a happy future and dreams of being married to her young lover. However, she eventually realizes that she does not have the future she deserves. For as a woman, she is merely regarded as a chattel and a pawn for a stronger marriage alliance. One day, after a horrible event, she finds herself pregnant out of wedlock. Because of this, she is ordered to be sacrificed to a dragon. However, the dragon does not kill her, and helps her escape. Soon, Grendel’s Mother must learn to survive on her own.
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.
Overall, this book is about love, family, dreams, choices, and freedom. This novel is about a woman who is trying to find peace and happiness. This novel was a very short read, and I would have liked it to be longer. I wanted more characterization of Grendel. This book also had many unanswered questions, and I would have liked them to have been resolved. Still, this was a faithful retelling of Beowulf told from a different perspective. The story is very beautifully written, and readers will admire how strong Grendel’s Mother is and experience the heart-breaking tragedy that will unfold within these short pages. I recommend this story for fans of Beowulf, origin stories about infamous villains, and survival stories.
(Note: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Grendel’s Mother is unnamed and she narrates this story. In this story, she dreams of a happy future and dreams of being married to her young lover. However, she eventually realizes that she does not have the future she deserves. For as a woman, she is merely regarded as a chattel and a pawn for a stronger marriage alliance. One day, after a horrible event, she finds herself pregnant out of wedlock. Because of this, she is ordered to be sacrificed to a dragon. However, the dragon does not kill her, and helps her escape. Soon, Grendel’s Mother must learn to survive on her own.
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.
Overall, this book is about love, family, dreams, choices, and freedom. This novel is about a woman who is trying to find peace and happiness. This novel was a very short read, and I would have liked it to be longer. I wanted more characterization of Grendel. This book also had many unanswered questions, and I would have liked them to have been resolved. Still, this was a faithful retelling of Beowulf told from a different perspective. The story is very beautifully written, and readers will admire how strong Grendel’s Mother is and experience the heart-breaking tragedy that will unfold within these short pages. I recommend this story for fans of Beowulf, origin stories about infamous villains, and survival stories.
(Note: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.)
March 27, 2018
The rest of the story from another point of view
While I know that Grendel's mother died at the end of the poem, Beowulf, it would have been better if the point of view had switched to a living person. Dead people cannot tell stories unless it is known that they are now talking in spirit form (or whatever) and that was not established.
I was one of the strange kids in school who not only understood the poem, but actually liked it. This was the main reason for me wanting to read it this book. It was a fairly satisfying read, although told through Grendel's mother's thoughts. Meaning, there is very little dialogue and NO chapter breaks, rather just a long narrative. Perhaps that was on purpose to mimic the poem, but didn't come across that way.
I did enjoy it and would recommend to anyone looking for something "a little different".
While I know that Grendel's mother died at the end of the poem, Beowulf, it would have been better if the point of view had switched to a living person. Dead people cannot tell stories unless it is known that they are now talking in spirit form (or whatever) and that was not established.
I was one of the strange kids in school who not only understood the poem, but actually liked it. This was the main reason for me wanting to read it this book. It was a fairly satisfying read, although told through Grendel's mother's thoughts. Meaning, there is very little dialogue and NO chapter breaks, rather just a long narrative. Perhaps that was on purpose to mimic the poem, but didn't come across that way.
I did enjoy it and would recommend to anyone looking for something "a little different".
April 17, 2018
Hmmmm. The editing was horrid. The Erick, Erik, Eric and Agnus/Angus name situations and several incorrect tenses. I tried to give some weight to her trajectory from a young girl to abandonment to motherhood but even in that sense, there were some places that were just simpleton. It was a worthy and interesting saga imagination.
July 10, 2019
Thank you for the opportunity to read this tale via a Goodreads giveaway. I probably wouldn't have read it otherwise! What a sad story about a young girl with hope of love to be raped and become an outcast from family and community.
July 25, 2019
An example intense backstory
Grendel's Mother is an evocative story of a young woman whose life is shattered by circumstances beyond her control and paints a poignant picture of the history of one of the most infamous monsters of Norse mythology.
Grendel's Mother is an evocative story of a young woman whose life is shattered by circumstances beyond her control and paints a poignant picture of the history of one of the most infamous monsters of Norse mythology.
Want to read
June 27, 2019Placeholder
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
September 4, 2019
I'm not sure what I expected, but this story was a pleasant surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed this storyline.
February 19, 2020
Interesting new look at the story of beowulf and grendel. Well written and an easy read. Finished it in one evening.
Recieved ebook copy from a goodreads giveaway
Recieved ebook copy from a goodreads giveaway
July 31, 2025
I wanted to love this book, I really did. It started off interesting but dragged out after a while. Grendel's mother is never named, and the book is slack on names overall. This makes it hard to identify characters and tell them apart. I think that her story of overcoming challenges is good, but overdone and slightly too much of a stretch for the imagination. Possibly I just struggled to overcome my disbelief in the magic of the story.
December 27, 2024
Interesting premises just wasn’t a fan of the execution. Characters lacked originality and subtly. The writing was juvenile in my opinion. I also feel as though the novel lacked a certain level of depth, like an attempt was made but fell short.
June 17, 2024
“I am the dandelion.”
I wanted to give this 3 stars because the story was pretty good, but there were so many grammar mistakes and proofreading errors that I just can’t.
The beginning of this novel was interesting, and I really enjoyed the author’s take on the protagonist’s girlhood. The middle was a bit lackluster. The end was entertaining again once Grendel was born.
Kudos to the concept, but some editing was definitely needed. Overall, I don’t regret reading it, but it could have been better with a bit more care.
I wanted to give this 3 stars because the story was pretty good, but there were so many grammar mistakes and proofreading errors that I just can’t.
The beginning of this novel was interesting, and I really enjoyed the author’s take on the protagonist’s girlhood. The middle was a bit lackluster. The end was entertaining again once Grendel was born.
Kudos to the concept, but some editing was definitely needed. Overall, I don’t regret reading it, but it could have been better with a bit more care.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews