Book Review: Wiltshire Folk Tales by Kirsty Hartsiotis

This book is a collection of retold folk tales from my adopted county of Wiltshire. While I only moved here in 2007, my wife grew up in this county and her father's side of the family have lived in Wiltshire for generations. I'd heard of the folk tale entitled 'Moonrakers' before, but thought that now my child(ren - ever hopeful!) will grow up in Wiltshire; it was time I learned a few more of these stories and the history behind them.

This book contains 30 stories and where the stories mention specific places, these can be found on the map before the introduction. I like the fact that the author has visited the various sources for the stories and has retold them. This means that all of the folk tales in the book have the same feel and narrative to them - which I feel makes for an easier read.

Not only are relevant line drawings present for each of the tales, but after each tale a box explains the documented history of the tale. The author also explains when she has merged two tales or where she's made choices to follow a certain narrative after being confronted with sources detailing different versions. Understanding the history of the tales, such as for the Amesbury Archer, ensures that the reader can build a deeper connection to this ancient county.

I can't wait to retell these tales to my son when he arrives in the (very) near future. I think it's a book that anyone that lives in Wiltshire or has any connection to it should read. My favorites are Moonrakers and Stone Soup as they show the spirit and intelligence of the Wiltshire people.

This series seems to have a book for most (if not all) counties - what can yours tell you? Perhaps your relatives have folk tales that have been passed down to them? If so, now is a good time to ask and get them recorded, either via microphone or on paper.