Twiggy Woman

by Oein DeBhairduin

From award winning author Oein DeBhairduin, Twiggy Woman is a collection of ghost stories rooted in the oral tradition of the Irish Traveller community illustrated by the renowned Helena Grimes. These chilling tales, collected by Oein from Traveller folklore are re-envisioned and retold for modern times. Oein’s writing is lyrical and beautiful, his perspective is rich and unique, and his writing appeals to a wide range of readers of all ages, backgrounds and interests.

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Ireland

156 pages, Hardcover

Published September 19, 2023

Reviews

[Niamh Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great atmospheric stories delivered in a very flowy language that is very reminiscent of oral traditions of storytelling. Most stories happened to people who had done bad things, some spirits were surprisingly lenient and some stories are surprising in all the right ways but always having a root in something that had come before or a unnatural thing that may necessarily nit be connected to the victim. Also a lovely insight to traveller culture and community.

[Juno · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of folklore from an oft-underrepresented group. I particularly enjoyed the author's own personal accounts of where they got each particular tale from and what events inspired their telling. A uniquely personal touch in a field that, despite being so shaped by people, often sorely lacks it.

[Matthew Cesari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really lovely book, and one I haven’t seen talked about much before or since buying it. The stories are hit-or-miss in terms of overall scariness and impact; some of the endings feel a little anticlimactic. But hearing the context given by the author before each story would honestly be a fascinating memoir just by itself, and the stories themselves are told in a way that is simple, straightforward, and effective. A really fantastic read, especially if you enjoyed anthologies like Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark, but want some more specific cultural context.

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great easy read on paranormal stories from the Irish Traveller community. Likely, you've never heard any of these tales before and they are truly fascinating, unsettling, but also strangely comforting to know about all at the same time. The illustrations between each story are wonderful and also add to the charm of this book.

[Mello Hex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic collection of stories, so beautifully written

[Scatha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and frightful collection of tales.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good collection of stories, ones I've never heard before. Really recommend

[Klaudia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nie porwało. Ciągnęły się te opowiadania jak flaki z olejem bez mocnej puenty. Nie tak się piszę fairytales.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve deliberated about my rating for a few weeks now and upon realizing how few reviews there are, I opted to give it a 4. I loved the insights to Irish travellers; the introduction helped to understand the context of the spooky stories. Each tale provided whimsical prose and multi-faceted moral lessons.