Folk Tales of Old Europe

Be transported from the peat bogs of Connemara to the limestone caves of Slovenia, and from the Norwegian coast to the Lazio region of Italy. Along the way meet a German beachcomber, a blacksmith from France, and a Polish priest. These retellings of old tales include the familiar cast of giants, fairies, and ogres. Magic weaves around them in a talking wind, a flying toad, and a shape-shifting goat. But like every retelling, it changes the tales. Each one is grounded in a real landscape, with the features and the creatures distinctive to it. And each one reveals something of the history and culture of the land of its setting. The collection builds a celebration of Europe in the days before modernity banished its mystery and magic. Front cover: Loch an Eilan.