A History of Irish Fairies

One is most reminded of those Field Guides to insects, flowers or birds written for those who engage in bird-watching, amateur entomology, or hiking. This is nothing less than a Field Guide to the World of Fairy, one that is small enough to be spirited away in a bush-jacket pocket, just in case one desires to get a binocular and go fairy-watching. However, I would not advise taking a butterfly net; one must always approach the fairies with respect. The book is divided into the general history of fairies, touching upon manifestations of the wee folk in most cultures, then settles down to the race of fairies that are specific to Ireland. She provides accounts of the nature of the fairy folk, the most dominant trait of which is living entirely in the present with no care for either past or future, and a devotion to the pleasures of their immortal lives. Treating the world of faerie in so serious a fashion, as if one were discussing the genetic structure of the mushroom is perhaps the greatest achievement of Carolyn White's A History of Irish Fairies. Ms. White, a Ph.D in Literature, manages to treat the subject with respect and scholarship without ever once putting tongue to cheek. The tone of the book throughout is academic, but not dry or tiresomely detailed.