Be transported from the peat bogs of Connemara to the limestone caves of Slovenia, and from the Norwegian coast to the Lazio region of Italy. Along the way meet a German beachcomber, a blacksmith from France, and a Polish priest. These retellings of old tales include the familiar cast of giants, fairies, and ogres. Magic weaves around them in a talking wind, a flying toad, and a shape-shifting goat. But like every retelling, it changes the tales. Each one is grounded in a real landscape, with the features and the creatures distinctive to it. And each one reveals something of the history and culture of the land of its setting. The collection builds a celebration of Europe in the days before modernity banished its mystery and magic. Front cover: Loch an Eilan.