"Hamilton's book is lively, convincing, unforgettable. This is a book tellers will read again and again, so rich and vivid is its approach." — Jo Radner, Past President, National Storytelling Network" —
"Lovers of story will find a lot to delight them in this book. And Kentucky story lovers will just want to grab it and take it home with them to keep!" —Margaret Read MacDonald, author of Ten Traditional Tellers" —
"Mary Hamilton has given us a fascinating tour of the heart and mind of a contemporary storyteller, weaving together her tales, their sources, and the fabric of her life in which each tale has its lovingly embroidered place." —Joseph D. Sobul, author of The Storytellers' Journey: An American Revival" —
"This book is a goldmine...Mary Hamilton does Kentucky proud!" —Elizabeth Ellis, recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award for the National Storytelling Association" —
"An entertaining collection of folktales and folklore that will remind all who read it of the value of storytelling to the human imagination. It will encourage readers to explore the lore of their own communities, no matter how near to or far from Kentucky."— Library Journal" —
"Even before opening Mary Hamilton's ode to storytelling, the rustcolored cover, adorned with a rocking chair and the kind of rustic text that might be carved in a tree, invites the reader into a world of oral traditions shared among Kentuckians for years before being captured on the page.... Her diligent notes increase the collection's quality, ensuring many hours enjoyed in the chair of your choice."— Appalachian Voices" —
"A well-documented, lively, informative book and is a major contribution to regional folklore."— Louisville Courier-Journal" —
"Mary Hamilton has given us not only a glorious collection of dazzling tales...but also an inspiring model of how a truly professional storyteller works."— Storytelling Magazine" —
"With imagination and a joy of communicating, [Hamilton's] book is informative without becoming didactic. It is a well-documented, lively, informative book and is a major contribution to regional folklore."— Louisville Courier-Journal" —
"An absolute joy.... This is the perfect book for bedtime reading."— Tucson Citizen" —
"Hamilton's first book—a collection of tales and her commentary on each one—is a must-have for anyone considering telling a good tale. And for those of us who mostly sit and listen, Kentucky Folktales provides some really good stories along with a little peek behind the scenes at the mind who tells them."—"Around Cincinnati," WVXU" —
"Hamilton entrances the audience...[and] narrates a range of stories with the voice and creativity only a master storyteller can evoke." — News-Express Weekend
"[...] With each story in her text [...] the author provides such excellent context and commentary that the reader comes to understand the story in its told form and also in its backstory. [...] Hamilton's voice throughout is that of a storyteller [...] [A]fter reading a few pages, most readers will find both hervoice and her stories about storytelling captivating." — Indiana Magazine of History
Professional storyteller and Circle of Excellence Oracle Award winner Hamilton presents examples of those traditional narratives that so many have heard from childhood, especially in the South or in Appalachia. She presents the folktales here in themed chapters arranged by genre, e.g., "Haunts, Frights, and Creepy Tales," incorporating all varieties of story, from family anecdotes and legends to oral histories and a few well-told lies (tall tales). The narratives showcase human nature at its best—kind, brave, and good—and at its worst—ignorant and evil. Hamilton uses vivid prose in presenting this Kentucky collection, including truly local tales as well as ones that will be familiar to all, e.g., about Daniel Boone. Her notes and commentary on the origin of the tales, for example, "Kate Crackernuts," deriving from late 19th-century Scotland, add a valuable scholarly element to the stories. Hamilton invites the reader to "read the stories frozen in print; [but] then thaw them out and bring them to life again,'' and then share them with others. VERDICT This is an entertaining collection of folktales and folklore that will remind all who read it of the value of storytelling to the human imagination. It will encourage readers to explore the lore of their own communities, no matter how near to or far from Kentucky.—Nancy Richey, Western Kentucky Univ. Lib., Bowling Green
