The Winter Goddess is a tale steeped in Irish mythology, set in medieval times when the gods, the Tuatha De Dannan, were said to roam the mortal world, sometimes showing themselves to humans. The main character, Cailleach, is the daughter of the chief goddess, Danu. When Danu observes how much she loves the snow and ice, Cailleach becomes the Goddess of Winter. In a fit of anger towards the humans who have spoiled her sacred grove, she causes winter to last way longer than usual, its harshness costing the lives of many mortals. As a penance for her actions, Danu decides to send her into the world as a mortal until she learns the error of her ways. She suffers hardships and dies over and over again, each time returning to the same croft in her village, but some generations later. The people never remember her, and she has to deal with untold heartbreak and pain.
The character of Cailleach is likeable despite the deaths she has caused. She was unaware of the consequences of her actions and like all the gods, was petulant and self-centred. Once she has spent time as a human she begins to see the error of her ways and to repent.
The changing of the seasons and the beauty of Spring, particularly when Danu appears, are beautifully described and easy to imagine, as is the simple contents of her croft and the joy she experiences from rescuing a puppy in one life and adopting a daughter in another.
The story is mostly gentle and character-driven, there is not a whole lot of action, but I found it to be a well-written and enjoyable novel. There is one particularly shocking scene which bordered on horror, but mostly, the novel pulls on the heartstrings as Cailleach’s companions grow sick or old.
I received an arc from NetGalley – thank you to the publisher, Viking Penguin, the author, Megan Barnard, and NetGalley for my copy. My review is honest and my opinions are my own.
This sounds like something I’d love! Great review!
Yes it is definitely worth adding to your TBR!