January 2023 MBR The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf

The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf

Into the Fairy Hill: Classic Folktales of the Scottish Highlands
Michael S. Newton
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476690025, $39.95, PB, 276pp

https://www.amazon.com/Into-Fairy-Hill-Folktales-Highlands/dp/1476690022

Synopsis: Headstrong heroines and hot-tempered chieftains, loch monsters and hill fairies, cattle raids and clan feuds, wise animals and foolish saints: the Scottish Highlands' folktales date back centuries and preserve the history and beliefs of a people deeply rooted in their land and culture.

Oral traditions connect the modern world with the hearts and minds of Scottish Highlanders across the ages, bringing their world to life in vivid detail. With the publication of "Into the Fairy Hill: Classic Folktales of the Scottish Highlands" Professor Michael S. Newton is an anthology that includes new and approachable translations of folk tales from the Scottish Highlands and Nova Scotia, providing extensive commentary on this rich storytelling tradition.

Of special note is that each story is annotated with information about its origins and any insights into its meaning. The original Scottish Gaelic texts, collected from a wide variety of rare and obscure sources, are provided in an appendix.

Critique: An impressive work of original scholarship that is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusions of anAppendix of Original Gaelic Stories, four pages of Notes, a four page Bibliography, and a two page Index, "Into the Fairy Hill: Classic Folktales of the Scottish Highlands" is an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Scottish Folklore/Mythology collections and as a textbook for supplemental curriculum Folklore/Fairytale, Mythology studies lists. It should be noted that "Into the Fairy Hill: Classic Folktales of the Scottish Highlands" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).

Editorial Note: Michael S. Newton (https://independent.academia.edu/MichaelNewton" was an Assistant Professor in the Celtic Studies department of St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia from 2008 to 2013. He has written a multitude of books and articles about Gaelic culture and history and is a leading authority on Scottish Gaelic heritage in North America.

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