Lost & Found

by Elizabeth Garner

Folk tales take us beyond our own boundaries into unknown lands. Yet within these adventures, riddles and enchantments we find our common ground and shared humanity. Lost & Found is Elizabeth Garner’s own retelling of fifteen treasured folk tales that have nurtured, sustained, terrified and enthralled her in equal measure. Some of the stories are taken from the books of her childhood, some are remembered, and others she has discovered in her reading over the years.

Garner’s tapestry of words is adorned with engraver Phoebe Connolly's beautiful woodcut illustrations that bring the friends and foes of folklore to life. Included in the collection are stories such as ‘The Riddle of the Crossroads’, ‘The Twisted Oak’, ‘The Wits of the Whetstone’ and many more. With a varied and diverse cast of characters, Garner’s retellings expertly traverse a myriad of mysterious worlds; always staying true to tradition, while simultaneously speaking to modern times.

This illustrated collection is another link in the chain between storyteller, listener and our shared ancestors: tales from the past, told to enrich the present and to be carried forward into the future.

Genres: Folklore, Mythology, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fairy Tales

272 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2022

About the author

Elizabeth Garner was born in Cheshire, grew up in the north of England and now
lives in Oxford, where she works part time as a script editor. Her first novel
NIGHTDANCING won a Betty Trask Award, and was shortlisted for the Authors'
Club First Novel Award.

Reviews

[Emily Bellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for everyone who loves dark and clever fairy tales - but has heard enough retellings of the most famous ones.

'Lost & Found' is full of characters and situations you expect to find in classic fairy tales. This makes it easy to just slip into the tale, but this does not mean you always know how the story goes. There are wonderfully unexpected twists and turns, and not always do they end happily.

My personal favourite was "Just Jimmy". The twist was completely unexpected, and one I would not have thought to find in an old tale passed down for generations. I wonder what a modern sequel would look like ...

Above all, I think this book serves as an important archive of stories that used to be passed on only orally, and might have therefore been lost eventually, if Elizabeth Garner hadn't collected and polished them.

[catsonthebeach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely book! I'd recommend it to all my friends, but I've never seen it in another book shop so I think I'll just be lending out my copy. The book is a couple hundred pages, but the stories are so engaging I read most of it in one sitting.

I loved how the language used was right out of a classic folktale, but the framing was more modern, without seeming forced. And while I was familiar with the bare bones of most of these stories, I never felt bored. Then of course the beautiful illustrations in such a unique style added so much.

All in all, I'm so glad I stumbled upon this book!

[Ben Jeapes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely collection of reworked folk tales from all around Europe. All the archetypes are here - Jack, the Youngest Child, the Enchanted Person - and the stories can be read on their own, but the author tells them in her own tone and style, which gives the collection a unity and cohesion that makes the whole book a treasured possession.

[Deborah Siddoway · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this volume of stories you will find 'tales that had been played out across generations of the village folk.' (p. 30). Self-described as a treasure trove of folk tales, the book is, indeed, a veritable chest of folkloric delights. Some stories resonate with comfortable familiarity, even if the detail of the story is unknown to the reader, through the use of inherited symbolism and imagery. There are stories that weave in mythic Celtic tree mythology and pagan tradition, while adhering to the fairytale device that is so comfortable and familiar.

The stories are well-written, based on the author's obvious love of folk lore and her research to try and uncover more of the tales she re-tells. Some of the stories were disturbing, steeped in the gothic and the eerie. I found them a perfect read for a cold autumnal evening, safely tucked under a blanket while sitting in front of a fire.

I would recommend to reading it one story at a time. Each one deserves to be appreciated as an individual work of art. The accompanying illustrations also really enhance the reading experience.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really loved this book, we heard her do a reading of it alongside some folk music as accompaniment. So inspired by the reading that I had to get the book, loved the short stories and the way the book was put together. Lovely illustrations to go alongside as well.