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The Winter Goddess

A Novel

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
The Winter Goddess is a gripping, bittersweet tale that explores love, loss, and the price of power and immortality. . . a perfect read for cold winter nights. I couldn’t put it down.” —Genevieve Gornichek, bestselling author of The Weaver and the Witch Queen
"Utterly bewitching. . . Barnard's novel pairs the beauty and fragility of the human experience with the sharp bite of winter. The result is an enthralling and emotional saga mythology lovers everywhere won't want to miss!" —A.D. Rhine, author of Daughters of Bronze
A goddess is cursed to endlessly live and die as a mortal until she understands the value of human life, in this inventive, moving reimagining of Irish mythology.

Cailleach, goddess of winter, was not born to be a blight on humanity, but she became one. She would say with scorn that it was their own fault: mortals were selfish, thoughtless, and destructive, bringing harm to each other and the earth without cause or qualms.
One day, Cailleach goes too far. Thousands die, lost to her brutal winter. In punishment, her mother Danu, queen of the gods, strips the goddess of her powers and sends Cailleach to earth, to live and die as the mortals she so despises, until she understands what it is to be one of them. Though determined to live in solitude, Cailleach finds that she cannot help but reach for the people she once held in such disdain. She loves and mourns in equal measure, and in opening herself to humanity, hears tales not meant for immortal ears—including a long-buried secret that will redefine what it means to be a god.
From the author of the “stunning . . . riveting” historical reenvisioning Jezebel (Library Journal), a vividly imagined and arresting story of a goddess punished—and a goddess reborn, as she discovers the importance of a life ephemeral…and what it means to truly be alive.
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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Aoife McMahon and Aidan Kelly manifest a pantheon of Irish gods in this enchanting story of family and loss. After killing dozens with a never-ending frost, Cailleach is forced to live multiple lives to learn the responsibility of godhood. Newly human and fragile, Cailleach forms unshakable bonds with a small dog, several lovers, and her daughter--only to lose them again and again. She opens her heart to humanity and uncovers a secret that threatens the sanctity of her godly family. McMahon's stunning narration reveals the fierce regality of the mother goddess Danu and the ever-growing maturity of Cailleach. Kelly's interludes weave a storyteller's perspective into Cailleach's journey. While the story centers the divine, it's really about human grief and the love that makes loss worth enduring. A.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

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  • English

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