She spent her life trying to ensure an Irish future for her people and her children's children. The Irish were to be conquered, cowed, beaten down to nothing simply because they were Irish. Ireland functioned under different standards than did England, and that was unacceptable. It is the story of a sad time in the history of an amazing country. It is not simply the story of an amazing woman. But she lived to see that all change, when England began more and more to destroy Ireland and the Irish in order to conquer the country. She grew up with the old Gaelic sense of honor, and understood the traditional ways of her country. The men of her clan (and others) followed her with pride. She was a chieftain's daughter who captained her own ships, always ready to go trading, fishing, or raiding. I liked her spirit, her confidence, her joy for life. Grania, as Llywelyn calls her, lived an unconventional life for a woman of her times. She was born when Henry VIII was King Of England, and lived long enough to have a famous meeting with his daughter Queen Elizabeth when they were both 'of a certain age'.

I loved this historical fiction from Morgan Llywelyn, which tells the story of Gráinne Ní Mháille (Grace O'Malley), a legendary woman who lived in 16th century Ireland. Morgan Llywelyn has written a rich, historically accurate, and passionate novel of divided Ireland - and of one brave woman who is Ireland herself. The story of her life is the story of Ireland's fight for solidarity and survival-but it's also the story of Grania's growing ability to love and be strong at the same time. But Grania, aided by Tigernan, her faithful (and secretly adoring) lieutenant, has no choice but to fight back. For even as Grania rises as her clan's unofficial head and breadwinner and learns to love a man, she enters a lifelong struggle against the English forces of Queen Elizabeth - her nemesis and alter ego.Įlizabeth intends to destroy Grania's piracy and shipping empire-and so subjugate Ireland once and for all.

Grania (Gaelic for Grace) is no ordinary female. From Morgan Llywelyn, bestselling author of Lion of Ireland and the Irish Century novels, comes the story of a magnificent, sixteenth-century heroine whose spirit and passion are the spirit and passion of Ireland itself. Here is an extraordinary novel about real-life Irish chieftain Grace O Malley.

Grania by Morgan Llywelyn