A review by veecaswell
Hag: Forgotten Folktales Retold by Imogen Hermes Gowar, Naomi Booth, Emma Glass, Irenosen Okojie, Daisy Johnson, Natasha Carthew, Eimear McBride, Liv Little, Mahsuda Snaith, Kirsty Logan

4.0

Here are sisters fighting for the love of the same woman, a pregnant archaeologist unearthing impossible bones and lost children following you home. A panther runs through the forests of England and pixies prey upon violent men.

From the islands of Scotland to the coast of Cornwall, the mountains of Galway to the depths of the Fens, these forgotten folktales howl, cackle and sing their way into the 21st century, wildly reimagined by some of the most exciting women writing in Britain and Ireland today.

Some of these folk tales are new to me, so reading some for me really has inspired me to go find their origins as these are told so incredibly well throughout this book. Tales such as ‘The Dauntless Girl’ which is a folk tale from my part of England here reinterpreted as ‘Rosheen’ is unforgettable and grips you more as you delve into the story - the characterisation and the dark setting is inescapable, and why would you want to? (Irenosen Okojie is definitely someone I want to read more from).

Another story that stands out is ‘Between Sea And Sky’ by Kirsty Logan in this collection. The changes of perspective between the mother and child as the story develops is brilliant and the ending is brilliantly done and it lingers on my mind now - the use of rhymes in the story leaving a haunting mark on it that just stays with me. ‘The Panther’s Tale’ by Mahsuda Snaith follow this and makes for an incredible read as we see the panther arrive and the people that ‘meet it’ - I think the last lines of this story are some of my favourite in the book.

This collection is so good and has some incredible retellings told by some incredible authors who really highlight their talent in this book throughout - with stunning characterisation, beautifully set scenes and bringing excellent twists to very old stories. I loved maybe the first half more, but really these stories feel so timeless, haunting, and perfect for this time of the year.

(I received an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).