In the well-regarded ``International Folk Tale Series,'' a grand collection of 36 tales, the fascinating result of the long interaction between the self-reliant gypsies and their reluctant Russian neighbors, as collected by two Moscow researchers. In an excellent introduction, the translator explores the mysterious history of the people who call themselves Rom, perpetual outsiders whose probable origins were in India; in Russia, as elsewhere, some settled and others continued to roam while their traditions endured—including these stories, whose action vividly reveals the gypsies' close-knit society. The stories are splendid: heroic or romantic; tales of fools or of clever tricksters outwitting each other—or the devil; ghosts foiled by the power of the church or horrifyingly triumphant. The vibrant characters are sometimes wealthy but often poor; though Rom society is male-dominated, there are also clever, assertive women—and one who, threatened with rape, literally becomes stone. It's also a society that's often outside the law of the czars, with horse-stealing a normal activity yet with its own strict moral code, including hospitality and taking care of its own. These wonderfully varied stories are bursting with drama and humor, rich with lively characters and swift-moving, surprising events. As a collection of gypsy folklore, this seems to be unique; for readers or storytellers, it's a treasure trove. (Folklore. 6+)
Pub Date: Dec. 20, 1992
ISBN: 1-56656-100-0
Page Count: 146
Publisher: Interlink
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1992
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.
Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.
When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-375-80215-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For the 90's, a handsome, well-documented collection of stories about nine uniquely American characters. In her intelligent introduction, Osborne explains their genesis ``from various combinations of historical fact, the storytelling of ordinary people, and the imagination of professional writers'' and notes that changing times put a new light on stories deriding various groups (including women and even animals). Thus her intention is to emphasize ``gargantuan physical courage and absurd humor'' and to ``bring out the vulnerable and compassionate side'' despite the stories' ``ineradicable taint of violence.'' Osborne succeeds pretty well in her intention, piecing together stories that make fine introductions to characters like Mose and Stormalong. Her approach suits Johnny Appleseed and John Henry better than it does Davy Crockett battling a panther, but she does manage to put a new slant on Pecos Bill and his bouncing bride without undermining the story (there's no question of a wife's disobedience here; Sue wants to ride Bill's horse as a test of skill). The telling is more polished than lively—Glen Rounds's irrepressible wit (Ol' Paul, the Mighty Logger, 1949) is more fun, but these versions are perfectly acceptable. McCurdy's vigorous wood engravings, tinted with lucid color, contribute a rugged frontier flavor; lively, though a bit formal in style, they suit the text admirably. Each story is introduced by source notes; a story-by-story bibliography provides a good roundup of this popular genre. (Folklore. 6-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-679-80089-1
Page Count: 116
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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