Northern Tales

Howard Norman is the author of numerous books, most recently Devotion, In Fond Remembrance of Me, and The Bird Artist. He was twice a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction and has received a Lannan Literary Award, three National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, and the Harold Morton Landon Prize in translation from the Academy of American Poets. He is a professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park.

"Fascinating... [Norman] provides excellent background for each tale... [A] superb book." Washington Times "What gives these tales vibrancy is that they are ... so full of struggle and celebration within the mind of nature." Boston Globe "A brief introduction before each type of traditional tale reflects the tribal and cultural concerns as well as the diversity of people who are deeply involved in and influenced by natural phenomena, animals, shamans, and the supernatural. Through humor and fantasy as well as earthy wisdom, the tale-tellers point out that 'stories are not just about living things, they are living things.' Through this book, a way of life is revealed and preserved." School Library Journal