Customer Reviews

The Old Eagle-Nester: The Lost Legends of the Catskills

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This is a collection of stories set in the Catskills region of upstate New York in the Nineteenth Century. The tales evoke the lifestyle and atmosphere of this very particular place and time in a way that makes the book special. I don't live too far from this region, and once lived even closer, so I can recognize some of the natural features of the landscape, but it is still hard to imagine what life was like there so long ago, when bobcats roamed the mountains and a railroad (long since discontinued) carried passengers from town to town. The title comes from a group of mixed-race people (whose ancestors were local Indians, Dutch settlers and slaves), called Eagle-Nesters who settled in the region long ago.

Some of these stories contain supernatural elements such as ghosts and changelings. There are recurring characters, such as the old Eagle-Nester of the title, who is something of a witch who makes baskets, tells fortunes and serves a mysterious tea that has an unusual effect on people. Most of the stories are very low-key and focus on the often difficult everyday lives of the people, who were basically pioneers living off the land. They are true regional folk tales, variations on ones the author, herself a native of this area, heard as a child. The stories are atmospheric, quaint and well told. They will not appeal to people looking for suspense, action or melodrama. On the other hand, if you usually seek those things, this book might be a good way to look at life from a different perspective and appreciate a slower paced way of life that has all but disappeared from modern society.