Odin's family

ODIN'S FAMILY Odin is the All-father, and the Viking gods are his family. In this fast-moving new retelling of the myths of the Vikings, Neil Philip recounts the adventures of Odin, father of the gods, and his children from the dawn of time to the end of the world.The stories are full of excitement and encompass both broad comedy and heartrending tragedy. At the center of the are the thunder god, Thor, and the frost giant, Loki, Odin's foster brother, who becomes one of the gods, but is never fully accepted by them.The Vikings were warlike adventurers with a strong sense of justice, and the high drama of their myths reflects their nature. These stories are among the foundation stones of Western culture: the names of four chief gods, Tyr, Odin, Thor and Frigg, even survive in our days of the week - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.Artist Maryclare Foa's bold, eloquent oil paintings capture the excitement, humour, and compassion of these powerful stories in strong, simple images that linger in the mind. NEIL PHILIP is a writer and folklorist. His books include The Arabian Nights, Songs Are Thoughts: Poems of the Inuit, The Illustrated Book of Myths, The Adventures of Odysseus, and Earth Always Endures: Native American Poems. He is married, and lives in the Costwolds, England. MARYCLARE FOA trained at the Royal College of Art in London and has exhibited her paintings on both sides of the Atlantic. Odin's Family is her second book for Orchard; her first, Songs are Thoughts, attracted widespread acclaim for the expressive strength of her illustrations, which drew on her personal experience of Inuit life.