Fairies and Folk of Ireland

A long, original tale brings together many characteristic incidents of regional folk belief by tracing repeated encounters between ordinary people and the unseen Good People who dwell in earthen mounds. Shorter traditional folktales are interspersed and retold in the author's voice, sometimes condensed or elaborated, to illuminate the central action. Recurring motifs include glittering subterranean dwellings, transformations and enchantments, bargains and tests of cleverness, and time-bound constraints that determine fate. Through a sequence of magical episodes the work explores communal loyalties, domestic hardship, and the cautious respect due to old customs and unseen powers.