Sigrid Früh (1935–2016)

This is a wonderful collection of European folk and fairy tales (in German, or German translation), featuring strong female protagonists (women who liberate their husbands/lovers, but also tales featuring Amazon-like warriors, or stories where the ingenuity of the heroine saves the day). The bibliographical information provided by the editor/collector is excellent, and while some of the stories do seem to have been gleaned from secondary primary sources, but this is likely a question of availability.

What I find particularly intriguing is that Sigrid Früh has actually also included stories that were orally recounted to her in this volume, thus paying homage to and promoting the original oral tradition of folk and fairy tales. These tales are not illustrated, and I would not necessarily call them children's literature. They are however, a wonderful source of folklore knowledge, and most of the stories in this volume can certainly be read with children, or told to children. Recommended to anyone who enjoys folk and fairy tales with strong and resourceful heroines, with the caveat that these tales are presented in German and while they are not particularly involved or difficult, a certain fluency in the language is required.… (meer)