{"product_id":"the-midnight-washerwoman-and-other-tales-of-lower-brittany-9780691252698","title":"The Midnight Washerwoman and Other Tales of Lower Brittany","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTwenty-nine Breton tales, as told over a series of long winter nights, featuring an ingenious miller, a Jerusalem-bound ant, a mad dash at midnight, and more\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the late nineteenth century, the folklorist François-Marie Luzel spent countless winter evenings listening to stories told by his neighbors, local Breton farmers and villagers. At these social gatherings, known as \u003ci\u003eveillées\u003c\/i\u003e, Luzel recorded the tales in unusual detail, capturing a storytelling tradition that is now almost forgotten. \u003ci\u003eThe Midnight Washerwoman and Other Tales of Lower Brittany\u003c\/i\u003e collects twenty-nine stories gathered by Luzel, many translated into English for the first time. The tales are presented in a series of five imaginary \u003ci\u003eveillées\u003c\/i\u003e, giving readers a unique opportunity to listen in on a long-ago winter's night of storytelling. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSome of the stories mix the apparently supernatural with the everyday--as in the title tale, when a mysteriously nocturnal washerwoman causes three handsome lads to flee so quickly they lose their clogs in the process. Others invite listeners to root for the underdog, as when a simple miller outwits a powerful seigneur. Another tale must have been greeted with raucous laughter as it recounts an ascending ladder of obstacles--from a mouse to a cat to a man to God (or the Devil) himself--confronted by a traveling ant. Michael Wilson, the volume's editor and translator, provides a substantive introduction that discusses Luzel's work and the significance of Breton storytelling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Francois-Marie Luzel\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Princeton University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/16\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSeries:\u003c\/b\u003e Oddly Modern Fairy Tales #28\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 264\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.7lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.70h x 5.30w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780691252698","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42707177439369,"sku":"9780691252698","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0636\/9240\/6921\/files\/img_0abdef8f-7d23-47a0-96ba-1280db20c819.jpg?v=1719478544","url":"https:\/\/sonsanddaughtersbooks.com\/products\/the-midnight-washerwoman-and-other-tales-of-lower-brittany-9780691252698","provider":"Sons and Daughters Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}