Wealtheow: Her Telling of Beowulf by Ashley Crownover

Nashville, TN -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/06/2008 -- Turner Publishing announces the release of inaugural Iroquois Press title, Wealtheow: Her Telling of Beowulf by Ashley Crownover. In Crownover’s debut novel, the classic tale of Beowulf takes an elegant turn as told from the prospective of Wealtheow, Queen of the Danes.

As a young bride, Wealtheow becomes a “Peaceweaver” to prevent war between the Danes and Helmings, and marries the king of the Danes, Hrothgar, the most prosperous leader in the land. She struggles to give him an heir, and the skies darken with the ominous foreboding of the wyrd, their law of fate. Suddenly, their lives are ripped apart by a vengeful and unconquerable monster, who haunts their meadhall and kills their most venerable warriors.

After suffering winters of hardship, the hero Beowulf arrives with promises of relief, and Wealtheow uses the knowledge of her people to show him the way. From fifteen-year-old child to a wearied Queen, Wealtheow proves to the Danes why she was chosen to lead and keep the peace.

“For the vast majority of written history, men’s point of view has been considered the norm. But women have participated in a very full way in every human experience throughout history,” Crownover says. “Bringing that perspective to light—even in this imagined context—is a way of enriching people’s understanding of our shared experience.”

Wealtheow: Her Telling of Beowulf is the first of several titles slated to release this year under Turner’s new imprint, Iroquois Press,. Turner Publishing is an award-winning, independent publisher based in Nashville, Tennessee. Turner produces a range of fine books in fiction and nonfiction categories, including its acclaimed Historic Photos series. Imprints include Turner, Trade Paper Press, and Iroquois Press.

Wealtheow: Her Telling of Beowulf
By Ashley Crownover
Turner Publishing, $39.95
ISBN 13: 978-1-59652-390-6
(softcover) 978-1-59652-391-3
http://www.turnerpublishing.com