Fairy Tales of Appalachia

by Stacy Sivinski (editor)

While taking a graduate course in Appalachian literature at the University of Tennessee, Stacy Sivinski was surprised to discover that much of the folklore she had heard while  growing up in Schuyler, Virginia, was rarely represented in popular published collections. In particular, they lacked the strong female heroines she had come to know, and most anthologies were full of Jack Tales—stories that focus on the adventures of the character from “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Feminist critics have long discussed the gender inequalities and stereotypes that fairy tales often promote. With Fairy Tales of Appalachia , Sivinski asks whether such conclusions are inevitable and invites a fresh analysis of these regional tales with a contemporary sense of wonder.

These tales, carefully and thoughtfully transcribed by Sivinski, have been passed down through Appalachia’s oral histories over decades and even centuries. This wonderful selection was mainly drawn from the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State University and special collections at Berea College. Drawing on the work of other regional archivists and folklorists, Sivinski grapples with issues of gender balance in Appalachian storytelling. The problem, Sivinski posits, does not rest with the fairy tale genre itself but in the canonization process, in which
women’s contributions have been diminished as oral traditions become transcribed.

Appalachian women have historically demonstrated resilience, wit, and adaptability, and it is time that more collections of regional folklore reorient themselves to make this fact more apparent. Stories are living, breathing narratives, meant not just to be read but to be read aloud. This timely selection of unique stories, along with beautiful, evocative illustrations, makes Fairy Tales of Appalachia an intriguing addition to the much-contested “fairy tale canon.”
 

Genres: Fairy Tales, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

Published February 9, 2023

About the author

Stacy Sivinski was raised in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia and now is a writing and literature professor in the Midwest. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Notre Dame with a specialty in sensory studies and nineteenth-century women’s writing. In her fiction, Stacy focuses on themes of sisterhood, self-discovery, and magic. The Crescent Moon Tearoom is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Keith Bates · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not terrible but suffers tremendously from the way it’s presented.

The fairy tales themselves are straightforward and seem to be presented in their entirety. They’re essentially transcribed rather than adapted in effort to preserve the oral tradition which isn’t always grammatically correct but lends to the feel and authenticity. That much was enjoyable.

However, the book’s editor decided to give each story its own introduction. This would have been fine except she tells you everything that is going to happen in the story you’re about to read. This makes the book exceedingly repetitive and tedious to get through. It greatly detracts from the overall experience.

Also, the book contains pictures. But the pictures didn’t seem to really have anything to do with anything and certainly weren’t representative of the fairy tales. At best they might’ve evoked similar feelings to those of the story you’re about to read. But in general they seemed to serve no real purpose and that made the book feel a bit haphazardly thrown together, especially when combined with the way the introductions and stories repeated the same information.

It might be worth reading for the stories themselves, just know you’ll have to put in a bit of work for it thanks to the formatting.

[Caroline :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars- I read this book for a research for a project on Appalachian oral storytelling, and it slapped. Its such an easy and digestible read, and I loved reading more about such a personal place for me. I also loved the feminist approach and focusing on female centered stories. Also literally perfect for my project :)

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant. Yes, there are long introductions to each of the stories, but you don’t have to read them if you don’t want to. I love the introduction to the story collection because I learned so much from it. In the introduction to each story Stacy gives you the name of similar fairy tales that I’m excited to look up and read in October.

This book is unique in that it presents fairy tales with strong female characters. I love how it honors Appalachia and our storytelling traditions. It’s a very important work in my opinion.

[Heidi Busch · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of fairy tales from Appalachia. It was really interesting to read the author’s notes about how these tales relate to other folktales from different countries.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before the beginning of each story is an academic description, and each story is transcribed from oral storytellers in Appalachia. Since they're not adapted, each story can read differently. Some felt like they didn't have much plot. I'd like to see this collection adapted into something more readable, or maybe an illustrated version.

[Nancy barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many others I found the layout of the book a little frustrating. I recommend you read the tales first then the recap of them after. I loved the tales and tolerated the inspection of them