Kentucky Folktales

“An entertaining collection . . . It will encourage readers to explore the lore of their own communities, no matter how near to or far from Kentucky.” —Library Journal

Winner of the Storytelling World Resource Award and the Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award

Folktales, legends, tall tales, and ghost stories hold a special place in the imaginations of storytellers and listeners. In Kentucky Folktales: Revealing Stories, Truths, and Outright Lies, Kentucky storyteller Mary Hamilton narrates a range of stories with the creativity only a master storyteller can evoke.

Hamilton has perfected the art of entrancing an audience no matter the subject of her tales. Kentucky Folktales includes stories about Daniel Boone’s ability to single-handedly kill a bear, a daughter who saves her father’s land by outsmarting the king, and a girl who uses gingerbread to exact revenge on her evil stepmother, among many others. Hamilton ends each story with personal notes on important details of her storytelling craft, such as where she first heard the story, how it evolved through frequent retellings and reactions from audiences, and where the stories take place. Featuring tales and legends from all over the Bluegrass State, Kentucky Folktales captures the expression of Kentucky’s storytelling tradition.

“A well-documented, lively, informative book . . . a major contribution to regional folklore.” —Louisville Courier-Journal