Lost & Found
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Folk tales take us beyond our own boundaries into unknown lands. Yet within these adventures, riddles and enchantments we find our common ground and shared humanity. Lost & Found is Elizabeth Garner’s own retelling of fifteen treasured folk tales that have nurtured, sustained, terrified and enthralled her in equal measure. Some of the stories are taken from the books of her childhood, some are remembered, and others she has discovered in her reading over the years.
Garner’s tapestry of words is adorned with engraver Phoebe Connolly's beautiful woodcut illustrations that bring the friends and foes of folklore to life. Included in the collection are stories such as ‘The Riddle of the Crossroads’, ‘The Twisted Oak’, ‘The Wits of the Whetstone’ and many more. With a varied and diverse cast of characters, Garner’s retellings expertly traverse a myriad of mysterious worlds; always staying true to tradition, while simultaneously speaking to modern times.
This illustrated collection is another link in the chain between storyteller, listener and our shared ancestors: tales from the past, told to enrich the present and to be carried forward into the future.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Garner (The Ingenious Edgar Jones) retells 15 classic and lesser-known fairy tales in this charming collection. The opening tale, "The King of the Birds," in which many species put forth arguments as to why they should rule all of bird-kind, sets the lyrical, enchanting tone. Each subsequent tale highlights a moral message, most explicitly in "Stealing the Moon," which sees trickster hero Jack lure members of his village into jumping down a well to get a fictional treasure by preying on each individual's moral failings. Jack returns at regular intervals, appearing in "The Riddles of the Crossroads," "The Wits of the Whetstone," and "The Coal Companion" and becoming something of a mile marker as readers work their way through these stories. Many of the tales also contain religious undertones, with appearances from Satan himself and dealings with the similarly untrustworthy Fair Folk. While all 15 stand strongly on their own, reading them together enhances their power, drawing readers into a magical world. Folk and fairy tale aficionados won't want to miss this.
