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Foxfire, Wolfskin and Other Stories of Shapeshifting Women
Drawing on myth and fairy tales found across Europe - from Croatia to Sweden, Ireland to Russia - Sharon Blackie brings to life women's remarkable ability to transform themselves in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances. These stories are about coming to terms with our animal natures, exploring the ways in which we might renegotiate our fractured relationship with the natural world, and uncovering the wildness - and wilderness - within. Beautifully illustrated by Helen Nicholson, Foxfire, Wolfskin and Other Stories of Shapeshifting Women is her first collection of short stories. All are either reimaginings of older tales, or contain characters, beings and motifs which appear in older tales.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
201 people are currently reading
4502 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Blackie
18 books761 followersDr. Sharon Blackie is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author, and a psychologist with a background in mythology and folklore. Her highly acclaimed books, lectures and teaching programs are focused on reimagining women’s stories, and on the relevance of myth and fairy tales to the personal, cultural and environmental issues we face today.
As well as writing six books of fiction and nonfiction, including the bestselling If Women Rose Rooted, her writing has appeared in anthologies, collections and in several international media outlets – among them the Guardian, the Irish Times, the i and the Scotsman. Her books have been translated into several languages, and she has featured in programs by the BBC, US public radio and independent filmmakers. Her awards include the Society of Authors’ Roger Deakin Award, and a Creative Scotland Writer’s Award. Her most recent book, Wise Women: Myths and Stories for Midlife and Beyond was published by Virago in October 2024.
Sharon is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an Honorary Member of the UK Association of Jungian Analysts, awarded ‘in recognition of the importance of lifetime achievement and contribution to Jungian ideas in the world’. She has taught and lectured at several academic institutions, Jungian organisations, retreat centres and cultural festivals around the world. She is online faculty for Pacifica Graduate Institute, California, where she teaches a Graduate Certificate Course on ‘Narrative Psychological Approaches to Finding Ourselves in Fairy Tales’ and other programs.
Sharon’s much-loved publication ‘The Art of Enchantment’ is a Global Top Ten Literature Substack.
Sharon lives in Cumbria, in the far north of England, with her husband, dogs, hens and sheep. She is represented by Jane Graham Maw, at Graham Maw Christie Agency.
As well as writing six books of fiction and nonfiction, including the bestselling If Women Rose Rooted, her writing has appeared in anthologies, collections and in several international media outlets – among them the Guardian, the Irish Times, the i and the Scotsman. Her books have been translated into several languages, and she has featured in programs by the BBC, US public radio and independent filmmakers. Her awards include the Society of Authors’ Roger Deakin Award, and a Creative Scotland Writer’s Award. Her most recent book, Wise Women: Myths and Stories for Midlife and Beyond was published by Virago in October 2024.
Sharon is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an Honorary Member of the UK Association of Jungian Analysts, awarded ‘in recognition of the importance of lifetime achievement and contribution to Jungian ideas in the world’. She has taught and lectured at several academic institutions, Jungian organisations, retreat centres and cultural festivals around the world. She is online faculty for Pacifica Graduate Institute, California, where she teaches a Graduate Certificate Course on ‘Narrative Psychological Approaches to Finding Ourselves in Fairy Tales’ and other programs.
Sharon’s much-loved publication ‘The Art of Enchantment’ is a Global Top Ten Literature Substack.
Sharon lives in Cumbria, in the far north of England, with her husband, dogs, hens and sheep. She is represented by Jane Graham Maw, at Graham Maw Christie Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
February 1, 2020
A glorious collection of retelling and re-imaginings centering female characters and frequently challenging the traditional female fairy tale experience. While many of the tales inevitably feature themes of assault or infidelity, there's a fiercer response here than the traditional tale allows for. The collection also makes room for older women - if mostly in the role of the goddess. There's even a small space made for female friendship, however unlikely in the original circumstances.
Particular favourites for me: The Last Man Standing, The Bogman's Wife, Meeting Baba Yaga and No Country For Old Women
Full review
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Particular favourites for me: The Last Man Standing, The Bogman's Wife, Meeting Baba Yaga and No Country For Old Women
Full review
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2021
I enjoyed a couple of these stories but so many of them beat me over the head with the idea that they were somehow feminist...and yet they really weren't. In one, a woman murders her husband's lover to punish him. In another, a cheating husband is rewarded by his wife learning to be better at sex to please him (and she feels grateful to the woman who slept with her husband for teaching her the error of her ways). I'm really not sure how I was supposed to read these in a feminist light, yet the author goes out of her way to lampshade her intentions with cringy passages about how men are the real monsters
October 9, 2019
A brilliant author is Sharon Blackie. Her prose strummed with a strange lilt that bespoke of the ancient folk tales passed from generation to generation, some told as a bedtime story and some hidden as a myth. All had strong women at its core.
Emotions raged high when these women were wronged. Some thrived in evil, some wanted revenge. Some just symbolized their inner animal, some took on this form forever. Traditional stories were mixed with a couple of contemporary ones to span the lengths of the novel and show its inner potential.
Illustrations at the beginning of the book were the teasers, they increased my inner craving to know more. Started with a bang with the story of Wolfskin, it brought a shiver of excitement. At 4 pages, most barely begin the story, but Sharon's brilliance shone when she wrote the entire story, complete and horrifying, paving the way for more.
Each story brought its own charm, some wicked, some evil. And all of them had me cackling with glee. The author’s research into the old Gaelic, Irish, Scottish, Russian, Celtic folktales was extensive (as shown in her notes at the end), but I was in absolute awe at the way she spun the stories her way using the tales as bare inspiration and telling me the story of transformation of each of these shapeshifting women, nature at the core of their hearts and animal their body.
Emotions raged high when these women were wronged. Some thrived in evil, some wanted revenge. Some just symbolized their inner animal, some took on this form forever. Traditional stories were mixed with a couple of contemporary ones to span the lengths of the novel and show its inner potential.
Illustrations at the beginning of the book were the teasers, they increased my inner craving to know more. Started with a bang with the story of Wolfskin, it brought a shiver of excitement. At 4 pages, most barely begin the story, but Sharon's brilliance shone when she wrote the entire story, complete and horrifying, paving the way for more.
Each story brought its own charm, some wicked, some evil. And all of them had me cackling with glee. The author’s research into the old Gaelic, Irish, Scottish, Russian, Celtic folktales was extensive (as shown in her notes at the end), but I was in absolute awe at the way she spun the stories her way using the tales as bare inspiration and telling me the story of transformation of each of these shapeshifting women, nature at the core of their hearts and animal their body.
March 21, 2022
One of the many gifts given to me by Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a growing ability to see the hidden stories within stories, to understand folklore and myth as a mirror reflecting back parts of myself. Feeling hungry to read some more magical tales, I recently picked up this book by Sharon Blackie with beautiful illustrations by Helen Nicholson. If it was a stew, I would have been "wolfing it down" in deeply satisfied gulps while licking my grease-stained lips in pleasure! I absolutely devoured it!
Each of these tales packs a real punch, and if you were to take them at face value, some of them might shock you! There are a few reviews of the book by folks who certainly haven't enjoyed it as much as me, and all of us are allowed our own perspectives. Yet I strongly feel that if you see in these stories the faces of Wild Woman, of She Who Knows, of the predator, of La Loba, you will understand that these tales are about the ancient wild landscapes of the world and within our own psyches.
There is a story called "Meeting Baba Yaga" that seriously had me cackling. It is told through the eyes of a modern-day uninitiated woman who is on her own spiritual quest and exploring all sorts of avenues, but not with a great deal of depth or self-awareness. She signs up for a one week retreat deep in the Russian wilds where she expects to meet her "power animal" but instead finds herself coming face to face with Baba Yaga--for real. Yet instead of recognizing this significant opportunity for what it is, she gets increasingly frustrated and perplexed. As Sharon Blackie says in her notes at the end of the book, "anyone can travel into the forest looking for the old woman of the woods, but not everyone leaves her house carrying the fire they came for." 💀
Many of the stories involved loss, betrayal, and the denigration of both the land and of women, even goddesses. These tales were fiercely beautiful and poignantly sad. I was moved to tears more than once.
It would be amazing if, like in Women Who Run with the Wolves, there was a thorough analysis after each story breaking down the symbolism...but if you read this book with Wild Woman beside you she will surely whisper everything that you need to take away from it at this point in your initiation. Highly recommended if you're looking for something to sink your teeth into! 🐺
Each of these tales packs a real punch, and if you were to take them at face value, some of them might shock you! There are a few reviews of the book by folks who certainly haven't enjoyed it as much as me, and all of us are allowed our own perspectives. Yet I strongly feel that if you see in these stories the faces of Wild Woman, of She Who Knows, of the predator, of La Loba, you will understand that these tales are about the ancient wild landscapes of the world and within our own psyches.
There is a story called "Meeting Baba Yaga" that seriously had me cackling. It is told through the eyes of a modern-day uninitiated woman who is on her own spiritual quest and exploring all sorts of avenues, but not with a great deal of depth or self-awareness. She signs up for a one week retreat deep in the Russian wilds where she expects to meet her "power animal" but instead finds herself coming face to face with Baba Yaga--for real. Yet instead of recognizing this significant opportunity for what it is, she gets increasingly frustrated and perplexed. As Sharon Blackie says in her notes at the end of the book, "anyone can travel into the forest looking for the old woman of the woods, but not everyone leaves her house carrying the fire they came for." 💀
Many of the stories involved loss, betrayal, and the denigration of both the land and of women, even goddesses. These tales were fiercely beautiful and poignantly sad. I was moved to tears more than once.
It would be amazing if, like in Women Who Run with the Wolves, there was a thorough analysis after each story breaking down the symbolism...but if you read this book with Wild Woman beside you she will surely whisper everything that you need to take away from it at this point in your initiation. Highly recommended if you're looking for something to sink your teeth into! 🐺
October 6, 2019
As soon as I heard about this collection, I knew I wanted to read it. And I had a feeling in my gut that I was going to love it. There is not a single weak story in this collection; I genuinely loved every last one. The writing is phenomenal throughout and I loved that the folklore inspirations for each story were explained at the end. The book also features stunning illustrations at the beginning of each story. I am seriously going to be pushing this book on everybody for the rest of my life.
Wolfskin
This was the perfect story to open this collection. It really kicks things off with a bang! It is honestly such a powerful little story and it's not even 4 pages long. The writing is completely gorgeous and has such a dreamlike quality. So empowering! An instant favourite.
The Last Man Standing
Again, the writing is utterly beguiling in this story. This is a sad and haunting tale. Any mild confusion I had was cleared up by the author's explanation at the end.
The Bogman's Wife
This story started to bring in sensual elements (though never explicit) and it worked so well. Once again, I adored the gorgeous writing. It felt like I was reading an old fairytale.
Foxfire
I love the mythology behind this one! Another favourite from the collection. The imagery was fantastic.
Meeting Baba Yaga
If any of the stories in the collection spoke to me slightly less, it would be this one. The narrative voice was more modern and the narrator wasn't the most likeable. Plus it was slightly weird for my tastes. But even saying that, it was still an enjoyable read. And I loved the nod to Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax ;)
The Water-Horse
This one returned to the old folktale feel that I so love and adore. This was another favourite of mine (in part, because it made me think of The Scorpio Races!)
Snow Queen
The writing!! I keep saying it but wow, heart eyes everywhere. This was so stark and beautiful and haunting.
The Saturday Diary of the Fairy Mélusine
The tone of this one felt very dark and scathing but wow, I still loved it. I've never heard of the mythology behind this one but it was absolutely fascinating to learn about.
The Madness of Mis
The second person narrative used throughout many of these stories is SO effective; it really makes you feel you are being told something ancient that has been passed down through the centuries. I don't know how many times I can say I loved this. This story was another favourite, with its vivid descriptions and almost-poetic tone.
I Shall Go Into A Hare
I have to admit, it took me a minute to work out what has going on with this one! But I quickly got on board. I enjoyed the cyclical nature of this story, though there was something slightly disturbing about it too.
The Weight of a Human Heart
This story is written as a conversation between two women and both voices are so distinct. The emotion leaps off the page immediately. I could totally see this being performed in the theatre!
Flower Face
In my opinion, this is one of the darkest stories in the collection. I also thought it was one of the most unique; I've never read something based on flower lore before!
No Country For Old Women
This was a wonderful story to close the collection, bringing everything full circle. It was beautiful and uplifting.
Wolfskin
This was the perfect story to open this collection. It really kicks things off with a bang! It is honestly such a powerful little story and it's not even 4 pages long. The writing is completely gorgeous and has such a dreamlike quality. So empowering! An instant favourite.
The Last Man Standing
Again, the writing is utterly beguiling in this story. This is a sad and haunting tale. Any mild confusion I had was cleared up by the author's explanation at the end.
The Bogman's Wife
This story started to bring in sensual elements (though never explicit) and it worked so well. Once again, I adored the gorgeous writing. It felt like I was reading an old fairytale.
Foxfire
I love the mythology behind this one! Another favourite from the collection. The imagery was fantastic.
Meeting Baba Yaga
If any of the stories in the collection spoke to me slightly less, it would be this one. The narrative voice was more modern and the narrator wasn't the most likeable. Plus it was slightly weird for my tastes. But even saying that, it was still an enjoyable read. And I loved the nod to Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax ;)
The Water-Horse
This one returned to the old folktale feel that I so love and adore. This was another favourite of mine (in part, because it made me think of The Scorpio Races!)
Snow Queen
The writing!! I keep saying it but wow, heart eyes everywhere. This was so stark and beautiful and haunting.
The Saturday Diary of the Fairy Mélusine
The tone of this one felt very dark and scathing but wow, I still loved it. I've never heard of the mythology behind this one but it was absolutely fascinating to learn about.
The Madness of Mis
The second person narrative used throughout many of these stories is SO effective; it really makes you feel you are being told something ancient that has been passed down through the centuries. I don't know how many times I can say I loved this. This story was another favourite, with its vivid descriptions and almost-poetic tone.
I Shall Go Into A Hare
I have to admit, it took me a minute to work out what has going on with this one! But I quickly got on board. I enjoyed the cyclical nature of this story, though there was something slightly disturbing about it too.
The Weight of a Human Heart
This story is written as a conversation between two women and both voices are so distinct. The emotion leaps off the page immediately. I could totally see this being performed in the theatre!
Flower Face
In my opinion, this is one of the darkest stories in the collection. I also thought it was one of the most unique; I've never read something based on flower lore before!
No Country For Old Women
This was a wonderful story to close the collection, bringing everything full circle. It was beautiful and uplifting.
October 6, 2019
Compiled from myths and tales spanning the mainland of Europe, re-interpreted to center the feminine , 'Foxfire..' celebrates the strength and power of women,with the bonus of an afterword which directs you to the origins of each tale.
Lushly illustrated by Helen Nicholson, the 13 tales are witchy, wild and wonderful, drawing natural comparisons to the doyenne of feminist short stories, Angela Carter, but I would also draw a direct link from Sharon Blackie, to the work of Marina Warner
Men ignore women, and by extension nature, at their peril-the maiden, the crone and the hag are all represented here in their different incarnations as fairy wives, werewolves, sprites and even the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd-in 'Flower-Face'-from the Mabinogion.This is quite possibly my favourite of the tales, it is a story we have grown up being told from very young,as constant a presence in school lessons as that of Gelert. Here, however, this flower maiden,created to be a wife for an unworthy Prince, named Lleu, is given short shrift and doomed. As Blodeuwedd reminds King Gwydion, who tried to outsmart the curse placed on his son to never have a human wife, creating one from meadow seet, oak and broom is not a wise idea-
''My heart is made of oak,the sacred tree:the gateway to other worlds.Ancient,enduring,long-lived oak.It doesn't know how to give up.It's a hard old tree, the oak:so easy to resist the pests who try to bring it down.You made me from the tree of kings:from it,you fashioned the heart of a queen.Do you see now the strength of my heart,old man?Do you begin to understand your error?''
And this is the crux of the tales-recognise the value of the woman who chooses to be in your life, ignore this at your peril.
The raw, elemental energy that comes with the sacred feminine is not able to be pinned to a wall, as in 'Wolfskin', where a hunter conspires to catch a shape shifting woman's pelt and keep her as his wife. This is never going to be a story which ends well...
'The Snow Queen' turns it's origin tale on its head as the queen is presented as someone who has been wronged by Kai and Gerda, that the power of her ice was used to fuse what was broken-she was not incapable of feeling. I read it as an allegory of environmental destruction, the danger of the melting polar ice caps which will lower the temperature of the world creating natural disasters threatening animal and human life alike. In this story, Kai and Gerda return to ask for the Snow Queen's help to reverse what is happening and bring back the cold and the ice to the earth.
'Meeting Baba Yaga' is a modern day reconstruction of the classic Russian story of a witch-clevelry retold using a narrator who finds their elemental self beyond reach of all the New Age 'hippy-ness' that they have consumed. The droll humour suggests to this reader that this is a deliberate,kindly mocking of those 'daytrippers' to the shamanic journey. In orer to live the life you have to commit, a one day course on Shamanism does not a shaman make. Authenticity and recognition of your powerful, witchy sources is key!I have always loved the decription of Baba Yaga living in a moving house supported by chicken legs.
I love that all stages of womanhood are represented here in all their guises, it is a natural successor to the fabulous 'If Women Rose Rooted'. If that was a call to arms, a klaxon cry to women to recognise their raw and elemental power, these short stories are examples from across the world to show that it has always been so. Women have to reclaim their own power, no one will hand it to them willingly.
So,sisters, shall we fight?
Lushly illustrated by Helen Nicholson, the 13 tales are witchy, wild and wonderful, drawing natural comparisons to the doyenne of feminist short stories, Angela Carter, but I would also draw a direct link from Sharon Blackie, to the work of Marina Warner
Men ignore women, and by extension nature, at their peril-the maiden, the crone and the hag are all represented here in their different incarnations as fairy wives, werewolves, sprites and even the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd-in 'Flower-Face'-from the Mabinogion.This is quite possibly my favourite of the tales, it is a story we have grown up being told from very young,as constant a presence in school lessons as that of Gelert. Here, however, this flower maiden,created to be a wife for an unworthy Prince, named Lleu, is given short shrift and doomed. As Blodeuwedd reminds King Gwydion, who tried to outsmart the curse placed on his son to never have a human wife, creating one from meadow seet, oak and broom is not a wise idea-
''My heart is made of oak,the sacred tree:the gateway to other worlds.Ancient,enduring,long-lived oak.It doesn't know how to give up.It's a hard old tree, the oak:so easy to resist the pests who try to bring it down.You made me from the tree of kings:from it,you fashioned the heart of a queen.Do you see now the strength of my heart,old man?Do you begin to understand your error?''
And this is the crux of the tales-recognise the value of the woman who chooses to be in your life, ignore this at your peril.
The raw, elemental energy that comes with the sacred feminine is not able to be pinned to a wall, as in 'Wolfskin', where a hunter conspires to catch a shape shifting woman's pelt and keep her as his wife. This is never going to be a story which ends well...
'The Snow Queen' turns it's origin tale on its head as the queen is presented as someone who has been wronged by Kai and Gerda, that the power of her ice was used to fuse what was broken-she was not incapable of feeling. I read it as an allegory of environmental destruction, the danger of the melting polar ice caps which will lower the temperature of the world creating natural disasters threatening animal and human life alike. In this story, Kai and Gerda return to ask for the Snow Queen's help to reverse what is happening and bring back the cold and the ice to the earth.
'Meeting Baba Yaga' is a modern day reconstruction of the classic Russian story of a witch-clevelry retold using a narrator who finds their elemental self beyond reach of all the New Age 'hippy-ness' that they have consumed. The droll humour suggests to this reader that this is a deliberate,kindly mocking of those 'daytrippers' to the shamanic journey. In orer to live the life you have to commit, a one day course on Shamanism does not a shaman make. Authenticity and recognition of your powerful, witchy sources is key!I have always loved the decription of Baba Yaga living in a moving house supported by chicken legs.
I love that all stages of womanhood are represented here in all their guises, it is a natural successor to the fabulous 'If Women Rose Rooted'. If that was a call to arms, a klaxon cry to women to recognise their raw and elemental power, these short stories are examples from across the world to show that it has always been so. Women have to reclaim their own power, no one will hand it to them willingly.
So,sisters, shall we fight?
January 25, 2020
This was perfect winter/time of the dark reading for me. Each tale a delightful surprise with some morsel of learning or laughter or remembering within it. I especially enjoyed Meeting Baba Yaga ~ seeing and laughing at some of my journey this time around. Thank you Sharon!
January 7, 2024
Beautiful and strange short stories, tales of the unexpected and focus on women's point of view. Really different. Delightfully pagan.
October 31, 2019
To follow
September 7, 2024
In this collection of 13 stories, about 4 or 5 were worth reading. Many of them didn’t really give the story anything new other than remind you a lot that men suck. The “feminist” lens largely focused on themes of motherhood, pregnancy, sex, and femininity as it relates to the men in these stories. As a queer woman, it didn’t hit the mail on the head for me. I wish Blackie brought a more culturally analytical lens to these folktales as I think it would invoke some interesting insights to dissect why our cultures have decided that these are the stories worth passing down.
October 5, 2019
This is a stunning collection of magical stories that are based on myth and fairy tales across Europe, and I was totally captivated by the messages portrayed and the style of writing. I've often found with short story collections that they can be a little hit and miss with the impact each story has on me, but with this collection I found something positive to say about all of them - some are short and sweet, others are a little more complex and involved but they all had the effect of just making me want to read more of the lesser known fairy tales and folklore from different places, and that's exactly what I will be doing!
Accompanied by many striking illustrations, each story features a theme - growing old, changes in the world we live in, grief, temptation - from the point of view of the women involved and I loved how that made you look at each story so differently. The role of a woman and how that changes over time and how others see her, and it really gives you so much to think about.
There are also notes at the back of the book which give the outline of the original folklore story which helps give extra meaning to the story if you've not heard of it before, and that was invaluable! I think fairy stories have a special place in all our hearts and as we get older we end up discovering the different layers to each story that we may have missed while reading as a child which helps give them that longevity, along with the memories they also bring back and that is always a wonderful part of reading - to rediscover and learn! Having stories re-written like these brings about a new audience and new meaning to stories, and I'm glad to have spent time reading this and look forward to reading more from this author!
Accompanied by many striking illustrations, each story features a theme - growing old, changes in the world we live in, grief, temptation - from the point of view of the women involved and I loved how that made you look at each story so differently. The role of a woman and how that changes over time and how others see her, and it really gives you so much to think about.
There are also notes at the back of the book which give the outline of the original folklore story which helps give extra meaning to the story if you've not heard of it before, and that was invaluable! I think fairy stories have a special place in all our hearts and as we get older we end up discovering the different layers to each story that we may have missed while reading as a child which helps give them that longevity, along with the memories they also bring back and that is always a wonderful part of reading - to rediscover and learn! Having stories re-written like these brings about a new audience and new meaning to stories, and I'm glad to have spent time reading this and look forward to reading more from this author!
October 26, 2021
I wanted to love this
While I immensely appreciate any compilation of folk tales focusing on women, especially in their shapeshifting capacities, I was deeply frustrated by the tone of this book. It was frustrating to see the writer writing the women into a state of mental victimhood and disempowerment, and really sucked all the enjoyment from this book for me. The female voice in each story was essentially the same - bitter, martyred, and passive aggressive on repeat. The protagonists became homogeneous and boring, and the reading experience became tedious. The title story was easily the best and the least suffocating in the aforementioned respect, but I regret to say it was the only one I enjoyed.
While I immensely appreciate any compilation of folk tales focusing on women, especially in their shapeshifting capacities, I was deeply frustrated by the tone of this book. It was frustrating to see the writer writing the women into a state of mental victimhood and disempowerment, and really sucked all the enjoyment from this book for me. The female voice in each story was essentially the same - bitter, martyred, and passive aggressive on repeat. The protagonists became homogeneous and boring, and the reading experience became tedious. The title story was easily the best and the least suffocating in the aforementioned respect, but I regret to say it was the only one I enjoyed.
October 17, 2021
Deliciously enchanting book!
I'm actually in awe that each of these stories were written by the same author. Her voice changes so much with each telling, and she really embodies the tale and it's history.
I suggest reading a story, sitting with it for a while, then going to the back where she has a description of the original tale it was based on. I liked seeing if I could guess. Also, I found that I couldn't read more than one story at a time... not because they were long, but because they were so impactful, I really wanted to digest and process the journey.
I'm actually in awe that each of these stories were written by the same author. Her voice changes so much with each telling, and she really embodies the tale and it's history.
I suggest reading a story, sitting with it for a while, then going to the back where she has a description of the original tale it was based on. I liked seeing if I could guess. Also, I found that I couldn't read more than one story at a time... not because they were long, but because they were so impactful, I really wanted to digest and process the journey.
June 24, 2021
This writer has a rare and genuine feel for nature and its myths. I didn't feel all the stories worked. Some, like Baba Yaga, seemed to be an attempt to expand her repertoire and offer variety and I didn't think it either necessary or advisable. Those, like Foxfire and The Last Man Standing, which focused on animals and the wild were beautifully described.
January 19, 2020
Fascinating collection. I particularly liked 'No Country For Old Women ' 💟📚😊
April 15, 2020
Wonderful collection of stories based on older tales, myths, and legends. The strength of the feminine. Renewal. Transformation.
September 20, 2020
4/5 of the stories in this book are glorious. And the last one, oh, the last one.
August 1, 2020
Big thank you to Turnaround Books for sending me a review copy!
A beautiful collection of short stories. Foxfire retells and reshapes a selection of European folk stories and uses them to explore the female experience and challenge the ones presented to us in these old stories. As someone who’s obsessed with folklore I was incredibly intrigued by this book and seeing how the feminist slant portrays the women featured in many of these well known stories because, often times, women don’t always get the most glowing portrayals in these folk stories.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a short story collection so I was pleasantly surprised to find that each story had its own ‘voice’ in the collection, and each being wildly different from the last. The snappy Wolkskin story at the start to the Meeting Baba Yaga story told more in the style of an email kept each story fresh and engaging. I especially liked these two but the duologue for The Weight of a Human Heart was also incredibly fun to read. Finding new things to comment on within these myths is incredibly difficult as many of it has been done before however, Sharon Blackie has managed to do this wonderfully.
The book also has some incredibly beautiful descriptions of nature. Sharon Blackie has a beautiful ability to draw the readers in and make them feel as though they’re there. It’s summer while I’m reading this but the descriptions of the frigid forests and lonely headland really transported me to those wonderful liminal spaces!
I would say that even though this is a collection of feminist story retellings, many of these focus mainly on the themes of marriage, childbirth and love. While these are important aspects and ones that are practically inescapable in folklore, surely there is more to the female experience than this that could be explored through the stories that surround us. The Snow Queen was one that didn’t overtly focus on these themes and stood for something a little different which is probably why it stood out to me a little more than the others. Some stories I feel could have benefited from another voice as in The Water Horse.
At the start of each story, a small single page illustration is featured to start the story. It’s not often I say I don’t like illustrations or an illustration style in books but the ones featured really didn’t do it for me and were a little disappointing with their simplistic portrayals of the story but this of course didn’t effect the book itself. (Idk, this might be my illustrator side whinging!)
Overall I really liked the collection and would recommend it to people, like me, who love folklore! Some of my favourites from the collection were Wolfskin, Meeting Baba Yaga, Snow Queen and Flower Face. The writing is lyrical and transportive and the portrayal and reinterpretation of the women featured in these stories may not be wide but it is certainly very deep.
A beautiful collection of short stories. Foxfire retells and reshapes a selection of European folk stories and uses them to explore the female experience and challenge the ones presented to us in these old stories. As someone who’s obsessed with folklore I was incredibly intrigued by this book and seeing how the feminist slant portrays the women featured in many of these well known stories because, often times, women don’t always get the most glowing portrayals in these folk stories.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a short story collection so I was pleasantly surprised to find that each story had its own ‘voice’ in the collection, and each being wildly different from the last. The snappy Wolkskin story at the start to the Meeting Baba Yaga story told more in the style of an email kept each story fresh and engaging. I especially liked these two but the duologue for The Weight of a Human Heart was also incredibly fun to read. Finding new things to comment on within these myths is incredibly difficult as many of it has been done before however, Sharon Blackie has managed to do this wonderfully.
The book also has some incredibly beautiful descriptions of nature. Sharon Blackie has a beautiful ability to draw the readers in and make them feel as though they’re there. It’s summer while I’m reading this but the descriptions of the frigid forests and lonely headland really transported me to those wonderful liminal spaces!
I would say that even though this is a collection of feminist story retellings, many of these focus mainly on the themes of marriage, childbirth and love. While these are important aspects and ones that are practically inescapable in folklore, surely there is more to the female experience than this that could be explored through the stories that surround us. The Snow Queen was one that didn’t overtly focus on these themes and stood for something a little different which is probably why it stood out to me a little more than the others. Some stories I feel could have benefited from another voice as in The Water Horse.
At the start of each story, a small single page illustration is featured to start the story. It’s not often I say I don’t like illustrations or an illustration style in books but the ones featured really didn’t do it for me and were a little disappointing with their simplistic portrayals of the story but this of course didn’t effect the book itself. (Idk, this might be my illustrator side whinging!)
Overall I really liked the collection and would recommend it to people, like me, who love folklore! Some of my favourites from the collection were Wolfskin, Meeting Baba Yaga, Snow Queen and Flower Face. The writing is lyrical and transportive and the portrayal and reinterpretation of the women featured in these stories may not be wide but it is certainly very deep.
November 12, 2020
I read this one in a book club. This is a book of short stories written by Sharon Blackie. Each short story is a retelling of a (mainly European) myth with a women-centric view. What I liked about it is that she showed many different kinds of women and their many different desires, without falling into the angel or demon dichotomy. However, some of the short stories just didn't gel with me. For example, Mis and Dub Ruis's story in which Mis's sanity is only restored by Dub Ruis's seducing her- I know this one was also retold by Ni Dohmnaill as well * but I just don't think anyone can turn this one into an empowering story for women, however much creativity and genius is given to it. However, some of these were absolutely beautiful and lyrical and I adored them; particular mention goes to the Snow Queen, No Country for Old Women, and the one with the cattle and the good old husband whose dog died (can't remember the name).
*pointed out in Geofeminism in Irish and Diasporic Culture: Intimate Cartographies by Christin M. Mulligan
*pointed out in Geofeminism in Irish and Diasporic Culture: Intimate Cartographies by Christin M. Mulligan
February 2, 2022
This little collection of whimsical, mythical tales is quite the mixed bag, but starts off on a good note. Featuring myths and folklore from across Europe, Foxfire, Wolfskin is an a very interesting read for those interested in learning a little more about some of the lesser known tales. With each story being so short, this makes for a very quick read too, and I appreciated the rapid fire nature of the collection as a whole. Each story felt well-contained within itself - despite the brevity - and served as a nice little snapshot to something I could then look into further if I so wished.
I particularly enjoyed 'The Last Man Standing', 'Foxfire', 'Meeting Baba Yaga', 'I Shall Go Into A Hare', and 'No Country For Old Women'. They were just the right amount of weird and lyrical for me to enjoy, and had enough plot to keep me interested. The rest of the collection did lose my interest slightly, due to a combination of being a touch too whimsical for me and also featuring fae creatures, but the stronger stories more than made up for them.
I particularly enjoyed 'The Last Man Standing', 'Foxfire', 'Meeting Baba Yaga', 'I Shall Go Into A Hare', and 'No Country For Old Women'. They were just the right amount of weird and lyrical for me to enjoy, and had enough plot to keep me interested. The rest of the collection did lose my interest slightly, due to a combination of being a touch too whimsical for me and also featuring fae creatures, but the stronger stories more than made up for them.
August 25, 2020
3 estrellas.
Foxfire, Wolfskin and Other Stories of Shapeshifting Women es una colección muy interesante, que, como dice el título, consiste en historias de mujeres que cambian de forma. La autora toma inspiración en distintos mitos europeos, dándoles un giro feminista y a veces más moderno, sin que se pierda la esencia de cuento de hadas. Destaco su estilo de escritura, cautivante y ligeramente enrevesado, que combina a la perfección con la trama mágica de las historias. Sin embargo, hay pocas que hayan sobresalido y que recuerde un tiempo después de leerlas. Algunos de los giros eran esperados y si bien algunas sí me sorprendieron, otras pasaron sin pena ni gloria.
Foxfire, Wolfskin and Other Stories of Shapeshifting Women es una colección muy interesante, que, como dice el título, consiste en historias de mujeres que cambian de forma. La autora toma inspiración en distintos mitos europeos, dándoles un giro feminista y a veces más moderno, sin que se pierda la esencia de cuento de hadas. Destaco su estilo de escritura, cautivante y ligeramente enrevesado, que combina a la perfección con la trama mágica de las historias. Sin embargo, hay pocas que hayan sobresalido y que recuerde un tiempo después de leerlas. Algunos de los giros eran esperados y si bien algunas sí me sorprendieron, otras pasaron sin pena ni gloria.
March 16, 2025
Favorites:
Meeting Baba Yaga (hilarious and authentically British MC)
The Water-Horse (who doesn't love a good kelpie story?)
Snow Queen (different from how I remember the HCA version. I appreciate the strong environmental message).
No Country for Old Women (hands down the best story in here)
The author's notes were interesting and informative, especially for the tales I was unfamiliar with. I appreciate that she changed a few endings to right injustices to the female MCs.
I listened on Audible and the narrators were all excellent.
Meeting Baba Yaga (hilarious and authentically British MC)
The Water-Horse (who doesn't love a good kelpie story?)
Snow Queen (different from how I remember the HCA version. I appreciate the strong environmental message).
No Country for Old Women (hands down the best story in here)
The author's notes were interesting and informative, especially for the tales I was unfamiliar with. I appreciate that she changed a few endings to right injustices to the female MCs.
I listened on Audible and the narrators were all excellent.
April 1, 2022
I had a whole page of notes ready to be posted but I’m not a nerd :/ just know that “the good stories are Really good and the bad ones are really bad.”
But obviously that’s all subjective so decide on your own lmao
But obviously that’s all subjective so decide on your own lmao
June 1, 2020
All the stories feel the same, like a non-stop stream of snippets from a same disjointed story.
October 15, 2020
A collection of short stories inspired by folklore, fairytales and women's history. Like all collections, some stories were more enjoyable than others.
July 29, 2020
As with all collections of stories some were better than others, but the writing was absolutely beautiful and inspired. I loved the idea and the realisation.
November 14, 2023
This volume contains stories from a variety of cultures and perspectives. I like the concept, if stories from various cultures that focus on shapeshifting women, and enjoyed the use of local terms, although it made some stories hard to follow. I find the author’s writing style to be somewhat stilted and abrupt - appropriate for tales told orally, but sometimes hard to read. As with many anthologies, the quality varies from story to story.
September 6, 2024
I've read this book several times, and it just keeps getting better and better! While the ebook version and paperback have lovely illustrations, I also highly recommend the audiobook. It has several different narrators who are all excellent performers.
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