The Lost Tales of Sir Galahad

by Jennifer Trafton (Introduction), Ned Bustard (illustrator), Malcolm Guite (Contributor)

For centuries, scholars have debated the nature of the adventures of Sir Galahad whilst he was lost in the Wild Forest of legend before he took up his quest for the Grail. It was thought that no record of his deeds therein had survived. But the scholars were wrong.

Newly discovered tales of the errant knight and his further adventures have been brought to light at last. And behold but a smattering of their wondrous treasures: dragons, trolls, magic, mystery, heroic deeds, faithful companions, and doubtful choices that nearly lead to all manner of ruin.

Rabbit Room Press is proud to present these historical documents to the world for the first time. With contributions from visiting scholars such as Jonathan Rogers, Malcolm Guite, Junius Johnson, A. S. Peterson, and many more, these tales have been scrupulously compiled and annotated by leading experts of dubious renown and are presented here with 100% historically accurate depictions by Ned Bustard.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Arthurian, Historical Fiction

317 pages, Hardcover

Published April 26, 2022

About the author

JENNIFER TRAFTON is the author of The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic, which was a nominee for Tennessee’s Volunteer State Book Award and the National Homeschool Book award. Henry and the Chalk Dragon arose from her lifelong love of art and her personal quest for the courage to be an artist. When she’s not writing or drawing, she teaches creative writing classes and workshops in a variety of schools, libraries, and homeschool groups, as well as online classes to kids around the world. She lives in a 150-year-old farmhouse in Nashville, Tennessee, along with her husband, an energetic border collie, a miniature rooster, an assortment of chickens and ducks, and a ghost who haunts the staircase.

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book is so fun. From the footnotes treading all the stories together to the illustrations to the cover itself (definitely the most beautiful book I own!) it is just so well done. And then the stories… stories that made me laugh and then some stories that shook me and I know are going to follow me around for a long time to come. It is about Sir Galahad (who I had no knowledge of when I started this book) but his wandering in the Wild Forest strikes a chord in my own “quest” from God… it is just such a good book and I am so thankful for having read it.

[Cheshers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully compiled tales of Sir Galahad, Son of Sir Lancelot, in his holy quest to find the Holy Grail. These tales are adapted each by different authors to provide updated stories that everyone can understand, each with their own moral that Galahad must learn before achieving his quest. These stories brought wonder and excitement to each of my children, as well as us parents, and left us excited to pick it up again. It inspires bravery, courage and expresses the importance of chivalry and pursuing the purposes that God has given you. My son was thrilled that he finally had a Knight figure he could look up to and admire as a “Christian” knight, who does not fall in his quest to damning temptations as the other knights do in their tales. We greatly enjoyed this book!

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book--beautiful to hold and look at, fantastic linocut illustrations by Ned Bustard, and a wonderful assortment of tales (not to mention great backstory and footnotes by the illustrious representative of the Society for Galahadic Study and Emulation :) ). I admit I'm biased--I have two stories included in the lineup of tales--but I'm more awed by the amazing company my stories get to keep. This is a keepsake for every family.

[Anna Sangrey Roussel]

Fantastic read! A collection of tales while Sir Galahad was lost in the wild wood. So many tales were beautiful, charming, and lyric reads on their own. As a collection, these tales joined the list of fairy tales that I will recommend to old and young readers alike.

[Joshua Reinders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite my lack of familiarity with Galahad or his famous quest for the holy grail, I sincerely enjoyed the stories, both the light-hearted and the more serious minded. I feel this book is worth listening to/reading more than once. I was left with the sense that there are depths in this text that I think I missed during a first listen and which would be borne out on additional excursions.

I thought Simon Vance's narration was solid, but I did wonder at a few points if this book might be better enjoyed either by reading the physical book or at least having a copy on hand to follow along with. I think there are some visual elements that listeners miss out on.

[Sarah Blevins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of interconnected short stories centering around Sir Galahad’s adventures in the Wild Forest. Some are funny, some are thought provoking, some are somber, and all make for a delightful read. The medieval-inspired illustrations and the footnotes add to it. I’d definitely recommend, especially for fans of Arthurian legends or books like The Hobbit or the Princess Bride.

[Jeremy]

Comments by Malcolm Guite.

[Addie D.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could this not be one of my favorites? I'm proud to know some of these lovely people, and their stories are just magnificent.

[Shofam · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUCH a fun book! I love pretty much everything The Rabbit Room puts out. Almost all the stories were short without being too short, very engaging, and offered some measure of humor. The illustrations were also well done. Some of our favorites were stories that "included" the missing or damaged parts of the manuscript.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, poignant, quality writing; enjoy reading and engaging with very much

[Miriam Novotny · Rating 5 out of 5]

With anthologies, I have a bad habit of reading the stories at a very leisurely pace and out of order. So while I've loved this collection for years, I finally sat down and read it cover-to-cover! In doing so, I discovered that the individual stories come together to convey a broader arc: as Sir Galahad journeys through the Wild Forest, he matures into humbler and hardier young man, wiser and ever-faithful, more fully equipped for his quest for the Holy Grail. The Wild Forest itself is a place of peril and wonder, silliness and solemn joy all at once. I am filled anew with admiration for my author-friends who contributed such beautiful tales to this volume (I am honoured to have a my work alongside theirs!). I am also grateful to the editors who undertook the massive task of weaving our stories into a cohesive whole -- how did they do it?

I can't say which I recommend more -- the hardback copy, because of the medieval-style illustrations, or the audiobook, which truly brings the tales to life! I especially enjoy listening to the audiobook while reading along.

[Joel Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I got this book as a birthday gift I was disappointed at first. It's the size of a fat picture book but the cover brings up images of looong Arthurian stories that never really stop. I put off reading it for as long as I could, but my insatiable desire to read sucked me into this book, and o boy, this is a hidden gem. It's a collections of stories that tackle everything from human nature, destiny, desire, in a goofy and serious way. The footnotes and Easter eggs make it even better. This book is incredibly well done and it's a great addition to your shelf.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whimsical collection of stories about Sir Galahad who is the knight of the round table prophesied to find the Holy Grail. These stories written by various Rabbit Room, The Habit, and other authors record his adventures and misadventures in “A Wild Forest” which is mentioned in passing in a single sentence in “The Story of Arthur, and His Knights by Howard Pyle. These stories are funny, witty, and full of goodness. Charming tales to inspire us with hope in our own journey through “The Wild Forest”

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredibly fun and interesting; the audiobook made it even more so. The summer camp where I volunteer as a nurse and where my children have therefore attended their entire lives performs a pageant every week based on the Knights of the Round Table, about Galahad and the Holy Grail, so I especially enjoyed sharing many tidbits with them. I also couldn't miss the Dark Sea of Darkness and Toothy Cow allusions to what I assume has to be the Wingfeather Saga, unless Andrew Peterson drew those from Arthurian legend.

[Shawn Reuter]

Short stories that keep on giving, hope, life and renewal.

While I have not read all the short stories in the book yet, so far, they have been such an inspiration and joy to read. Always ending, leaving me something to think about in my own writing to draw inspiration from.

I will update review with more thoughts from my favorite short stories from the book once I am done!

[Emily Vander Ark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique book that blends humor, legend, spirituality, and love! Some stories are naturally more compelling than others. Some favorites are Guite's Ballad, and of course A. S. Peterson's unsentimental way of honoring the late Wangerin.

[Lindsay Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of stories! Funny and thoughtful! Beautiful illustrations!

[Ivor Armistead · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable and beautifully presented edition of the lost tales of Sir. Galahad. If you are at all a fan of the Arthurian legends, you should like reading this volume.

[Adam Bloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a bit to warm up to this book, but it fell into its stride and eventually reached the right balance of silliness and fun. It would be a good book for reading with kids.

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the print version of this book--it's such a beautiful edition with Ned Bustard's illustrations, and one of the tales couldn't be translated to audio, so it's good to have it on hand. But this audio version is delightful. Simon Vance is the perfect reader for it, giving even the lightest tales a flavor of authenticity.

(And I was particularly pleased when he pronounced my last name correctly on my own two short stories, Sir Galahad and the Hiccoughing Phoenix and Sir Galahad and the Boy.)