Friday, January 9, 2009

Six Micmac Stories by Ruth Holmes Whitehead

I've recently started some research into fairytales and, while my focus has been on European myths, I have also been looking into other cultures.

I found this book to be very interesting. There are only six short stories, but they are well selected to cover a number of cultural aspects. I also enjoyed the short commentary provided after each story. It explained a bit about the symbolic significance of aspects of the story, as well as some cultural background necessary to appreciate the narrative.

Overall, it's a a very short read, essentially a quick dip into Micmac storytelling. It's by no means authoritative. The stories mostly have positive messages and, with the exception of a few scary moments, would be appropriate for kids.