Join Our Next Book Club Read!
Book Club | April - June 2026 | LAUNCH
After beginning the year with our group read of Lost Realms: Histories of Britain From the Romans to the Vikings by Thomas Williams, we are pivoting to one of the best historical fiction works I’ve read in a long time. Hild by Nicola Griffith was chosen by subscribers in a recent poll on the chat and will be our Book Club focus for April - June 2026. This will fit into our broader, deep-dive theme of medieval women’s history which we will be exploring across these months in our weekly essays.
Long-time readers of Medieval Musings will know the high regard in which I hold Abbess Hild of Whitby (d. 680 AD). Living at a dynamic time that experienced rapid change, Hild was able to take advantage of the fledgling, pioneer Christian Church during the second stage of its missionary venture to rise within its ranks to the very top. This brief biography is helpful for those who have not come across her before.
Hild builds on a tremendous amount of research by the author to ‘fill in the gaps’ of the historical record that survives to tell the story of this remarkable woman. This for me is the best kind of historical fiction: using the medium to explore creatively what might have happened when certainty eludes us.
If the opening pages of the book feel a little overwhelming, it is simply the sheer volume of references to documentary and archaeological material that makes it so. Believe me when I say that I was amazed by the efforts that the author went to in order to situate her story within every available piece of information we have about the real Hild and her world. There is much that we can learn about her from this book!
‘Hild is not just one of the best historical novels I have ever read - I think it’s one of the best novels, period.’
Dorothy Allison
Here’s what the blurb of the book has to say:
‘You are a prophet and seer with the brightest mind in an age. Your blood is that of the man who should have been king… That’s what the king and his lords see. And they will kill you, one day.’
Britain in the seventh century - and the world is changing. Edwin, King of Northumbria, plots his rise to overking of all the Angles. Ruthless and unforgiving, he is prepared to use every tool at his disposal. Into this brutal, vibrant court steps Hild - Edwin’s youngest niece.
With her glittering mind and powerful curiosity, Hild has the ability to make startlingly accurate predictions. It is a gift that can seem uncanny to those about her. It is also a valuable weapon. She is indispensable to Edwin - unless she should ever lead him astray. The stakes are life and death: for Hild, for her loved ones and for the increasing numbers who seek the protection of the strange girl who can see the future and lead men like a warrior.
‘You could describe Hild as being like Game of Thrones without the dragons, but this is so much deeper than that, so much richer. A glorious, intensely passionate walk through an entirely real landscape.’
Manda Scott
How will the Book Club work?
We will read Hild on a schedule across the months of April to June 2026, shared behind the paywall of this post, though do feel free to read on if you find yourself captivated.
Each month, readers will receive a post devoted to Hild, which will contain: a video synopsis of the chapters read that month; a themed essay; discussion questions; a reader response section for you to share your thoughts.
For the first time, I am also offering a self-study/pre-reading list behind the paywall of this post, for those who want to go deeper. This is a mixture of primary and secondary source material of a more academic flavour, which will help readers to grasp better the references of the book. By no means do you need to engage with this in order to understand the book; it is simply an additional offering for those who want to explore the history further.
We would usually have weekly discussion prompts for the Book Club sent in the subscriber chat. I am, however, expecting a baby due in the first week of April so will not be available to host these chats. All discussions will therefore take place within the monthly posts, and I will let you know when the weekly discussions resume.
Ready to join us?
Behind the paywall (as the Book Club is a paid subscriber exclusive), I’ll be sharing the reading schedule and self-study/pre-reading list, so that those who want to join us can get started on sourcing a copy and reading, ahead of the first post on Saturday 4th April.
If you’re eager to learn about one of the most remarkable - yet overlooked - women of the early medieval, ‘Dark Age’, period, make sure to upgrade at the link below and receive all future Book Club posts.
