Eight books reimagining the monstrous women of mythology and history

Nataly Gruender was born and raised in Arizona and found an escape from the desert heat through her library card. She studied English, Creative Writing, and Classics at the University of Arizona and is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course. Giving in to the siren call of New York, Gruender booked it across the country, and when she's not working or writing she likes to pet other people's dogs and spend too much time in used bookstores. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Gruender's new novel is Medusa.

At Electric Lit she tagged

eight books I’ve loved that feature women of mythology, folklore, or history seizing control of their narrative and encouraging us to reconsider what it means to be the villain in the story, just like Medusa.

One title on the list:

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Drawing from Mexican folklore and set in the Jazz Age, the story centers on Casiopea, a young girl who dreams of escaping her grandfather’s house in southern Mexico where she is treated like a servant and tormented by her cousin. Her dream becomes possible when she accidentally frees and binds herself to the spirit of a Mayan death god and agrees to help him reclaim Xibalba, the Mayan underworld, from his sacrifice-hungry brother. Against all sense, Casiopea throws herself in the middle of an ancient rivalry and into an adventure that takes her through Yucatán, Mexico City, and straight to the underworld. However, being bound to a god of death has its consequences, and she soon faces a trial that puts her dreams, her life, and the fate of the world at stake. Moreno-Garcia’s masterful storytelling accentuates the strength of one woman’s convictions even in the face of death.

Read about another title on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue