Hild

What Our Readers Are Saying

Share your thoughts on this title!

Average customer rating 5 (10 comments)

---

`

I really enjoyed this glimpse into 7th century Britain, focused around the historical figure Hild. The writing is superb. I highly recommend it for anyone with an interest in this time period.

`

This lovely book takes you back in time to the 7th century, the so-called dark ages, in Britain. From page 1 you are immersed in the atmosphere, culture and even language as you follow Hild's remarkable rise to status and power. Packed with exquisite detail, this dense book pulls you in and delivers an amazing, unforgettable story. Hild is a fascinating protagonist, all the more so because she was a real woman. Griffith has done her homework: I painlessly learned more about the Anglo Saxons than I ever thought I could from a novel. Rich, rewarding, and so, so good.

`

This book is amazed and inspired me to learn more about the Anglo-Saxons. I am a big fan of historical fiction, especially the kind of historical fiction that takes a mythic person and shows the reality, the everyday that made that person who they were and that made the myths and legends associated with that person. The writing is lush and absorbing. This is one of the few books I've read this year that I can see reading again.

`

This book is a tour de force! Griffith creates an elaborate, believable, fully realized world and fills it with people from kings to slaves. Hild is the king's seer, a child mystic, 'the light of the world', who helps guide him in his quest to solidify and expand his kingdom. War, class struggles, fracturing alliances, Romans and Catholocism, the old gods vs the new, weaving and brewing - all are part of this glorious story set in 7th century England. It reads like a cross between mythology and historical fiction and will appeal to readers who enjoy either of those genres. Definitely my favorite book of the year.

`

This is now my favorite. Favorite novel, favorite historical fiction, favorite Nicola Griffith product. I keep seeing the word "transported" in reviews of this novel and it is so apropos. The story telling takes you there, her descriptions are so vivid, you can see it, feel it, smell it, and be there! And it is a full view of the culture, not just a male dominated “men on horses, history book” story. Everything from cooking, weaving, planting, creating a hedge, smithing to medicine is delved into. It is so very rich!! The only thing that made me sigh was that it ended and the next book is not done yet.

`

Nicola Griffith has written a gorgeous book about a girl in Anglo-Saxon times in England. Hild is clever, and she's the niece of a king -- but she's a GIRL, in an era that values women mainly as bearers of children, and, in the case of girls of royal blood, as "peace weavers," who can be traded off in marriage to cement political alliances. Hild does not particularly aspire to either career path. However, she has an out -- her mother had a dream when she was pregnant that she was bearing a child of great promise, who would be "the light of the world." Everybody assumes this child will be a boy. When Hild is born, the common reaction is, But how can a girl be "the light of the world"? Hild's clever mother, Beguswirth, fosters the belief that Hild carries some sort of magic -- she can read minds, predict the future. Beguswirth trains her in the arts of observation and analysis, of which Beguswirth herself is no mean pracitioner. Hild's Uncle Edwin, the king of Northumbria, who's busy trying to make himself "overking" of the island, takes her on as his "seer" when she's still a child. Hild grows up as a remarkable young girl in a land that mixes civilization and barbarity. Many things are changing -- the new Christian religion is penetrating England, displacing the old gods. Hild herself becomes a Christian. But there is no sign yet of the future Saint Hilda. Hild has mystical leanings, but none that are specific to Christianity; she is baptized, along with most of the Northumbrian court, as yet another one of Edwin's political ploys, The book ends with the promise of a sequel, which I'm looking forward to.

`

From the moment I began reading Hild I was transported to 7th century Great Britain, a time of Anglo-Saxon under kings and power struggles. The story revolves around St Hild of Whitby who was instrumental in the conversion of Britain to Christianity- but this is no dry historical recounting. Griffith's writing is laden with the words, phrases and nuances of Old English spun in such a way as to detail daily life to the point where the reader's five senses are engaged. She recounts the times through the eyes of Hild, from age three on, in way that strengthens and enriches her characters into complex and often contradictory people we feel we know and understand. While this is a fictionalized history,it transcends the genre and I found it to be a mixture of history, fantasy and adventure. I really hope people give this book chance- the language can be a bit tricky in the beginning, but it gets easier as you go along and really- its wonderful.

`

Absolutely stellar performance from Nicola Griffith here. I was not only spellbound by this portrait of the woman who would become Saint Hilda of Whitby, I was also transported by the lush descriptions of Anglo-Saxon England, its landscape and its politics. This is one of those books crying out to be filmed, and also one of those books you wish would never end.

`

This book swept me away. Griffith immersed herself in the 7th century, and the way she's written this book, she takes you with her. You feel, smell, see, taste Hild's world. She, and the characters around her, are vivid and 3-dimensional. I don't know how she's done this without me ever sensing an info-dump, but she does. There's drama and suspense from the king's political machinations and wars, but also the day-to-day challenges of enough honey for mead, and worries over the flax crop for this year's linen. It reminded my of reading good science fiction, where the author does world-building that takes to a new place. The other day, I was packing up to catch the bus for work, and looking for my Kobo e-reader. I realized that I wasn't thinking "Where's my book?" or "Where's my Kobo?", but "Where's Hild?". I can't recall ever doing that before.

`

Do you know anything about St. Hilda of Whitby? No? Me neither. Well, I didn't - until I picked up this gorgeous book by Nicola Griffith. Hild takes on history with imagination, a deft writing style, and some of the most complex, gorgeous storytelling ability I have ever read. That's not to say it's an easy book, or a particularly gripping one due to the nature of St. Hilda's life, but there is something about a well-crafted, historical tale that tells a little known story that is so appealing to me. I am so glad that it didn't disappoint. So, first of all, let me talk about Griffith's writing. It's masterful and beautiful and all those adjectives that people use to try to describe a brilliant writing style. But, more than anything, what struck me was how knowledgeable it was. Not once, as I was being led through the story, did I get the impression that Griffith had been lax in her research. Her ability to use words and names that are strange to the modern eye is visible testament to her knowledge. I also read an interview given by her recently where she recognizes the historical inaccuracy in the cover, but notes that it was just too gorgeous to pass it by. Speaking of the cover - that's exactly what caught my eye. Brilliant imagined, it stands out as being something different. One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to historical fiction is the complete contrast in covers - from flimsy, beautiful women (only the back of them) type books or beautiful women with crowns on their head (a la Philippa Gregory) to stark symbols or crests. The cover for Hild is a nice change; period gear (although slightly inaccurate as the author ported out), striking font, and an art style that brings to mind the setting. I really don't want to just gush over this book more. Suffice it to say that any serious historical fiction fan, or really, anyone who has had a passing interest in the Dark Ages, should check Hild out. It never hurts to learn about fantastic, strong, females who changed history and this is a great book to start that learning process with.