by A. S. Byatt
First published 2011
As bombs rain down on Britain, a young evacuee finds solace in a book of Norse mythology. As she loses herself in the tales of Odin, Thor, and Ragnarok, her inner world blossoms even as the outer one crumbles. With the war as a dark backdrop, she discovers the power of myth to transcend her grim reality and uncover a timeless truth about the human spirit.
Genres: mythology, historical-fiction, 20th-century, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: England, Great Britain
Period: 20th-Century
240 pages · Hardcover · Canongate
Content warnings: war