Published by The History Press
As well as being a playwright, author and poet, Ian Stephen is an award-winning story teller who has travelled to many countries around the globe to share this talent.
In his latest work he takes us on a journey much closer to home, one around the Western Isles and his hometown of Stornoway.
Cleverly incorporating a subtle geography lesson, this delightful collection of tales takes us from Barra in the south to the north of Lewis, with each new section of the journey introduced with a simply drawn map of the area and illustrations by Christine Morrison.
There are around 50 tales included covering a surprisingly varied amount of topics ranging from fishing boats and marriages to murders and clan feuds – “The Crop-Headed Freckled Lass” was one which, for me, was reminiscent of a Hans Christian Anderson-style story.
Some have a moral edge and others seem founded on superstition. They range in length from just a couple of paragraphs to a few pages long which makes for convenient reading, particularly for those with a busy lifestyle.
Ian also provides the sources of the tales, some of whom may be familiar to readers who are natives of the Isles, which will be useful for those wishing to research further.