Tatterhood and Other Tales [Paperback]

Ethel Johnston Phelps (Editor), Pamela Baldwin Ford (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1993

   All the central characters in these folk tales are spirited females-decisive heroines of extraordinary courage, wit, and achievement who set out to determine their own fate. Some of their stories are comic, some adventurous, some eerie, and some magical. The 25 traditional tales come from Asia, Europe, India, Africa, and the Americas; detailed information about their sources is given. "A sparkling gathering or traditional, yet little-known tales."-Chicago Sun Times

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: The Feminist Press at CUNY; Foxing on Edges edition (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912670509
• ISBN-13: 978-0912670508
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,381 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for girls, December 8, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tatterhood and Other Tales (Paperback)

This book is awesome, esp. for girls. It features folk tales in which the protagonists are all smart, strong, clever, just girls or women. We read it to my daughter at 4, and at 9, she still goes back and rereads the stories.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Extremely Memorable, But Well Done, August 22, 2001

By 

K. Dickson (New England, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tatterhood and Other Tales (Paperback)

My mother purchased this book for me as a very young girl, along with other collections of short-stories, and I remember being enchanted with it. The legends are fascinating, although I don't think the fact that they were all about young women and girls ever crossed my mind (an observation that leads me to believe this book would be good for boys, as well).

I recently re-read the stories, and was delighted. I remember being confused as a girl, since the places, people, and customs are mostly foreign, and so I wouldn't recommend these books to any one younger then six. And even then, with the lack of pictures, it's great for adults to read to kids (no matter what age, within reason). Worth the money.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Girls who can, August 20, 2001

By 

Joan MacDonald (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tatterhood and Other Tales (Paperback)

It was not until after reading these stories to my daughter, that I realized that the fairy tales my generation of women had grown up usually had heroines who needed to be rescued. The heroines in Tatterhood solve problems, rescue themselves and sometimes their princes. Hopefully girls will identify with these competent and confident heroines. I don't know many women who can afford to sit around in an ivory tower waiting for a prince to rescue them. These are wonderful, amusing tales from another and equally valid perspective.