The Lure of the Honey Bird
The Storytellers of Ethiopia
by Elizabeth Laird
£12.99
- Paperback
- E-Book
Out of stock
OUT OF STOCK
Folktales & traditions
Reviews
A lovely meander through Ethiopia's oral tradition'
Independent on Sunday
I was mesmerized throughout with her vivid and insightful descriptions ... It is a fascinating read'
American Peace Corps newspaper, the Herald
Laird's knowledge of Ethiopia is astounding and accurate ... she writes with an empathy many others lack' -
The List
About the Book
In 1967, at the age of 23, Elizabeth Laird set off for Addis Ababa to take up her first teaching post. She was introduced to Haile Selassie, made a pilgrimage across the mountains on foot to the ancient city of Lalibela, hitched a ride on an oil tanker across the Danakil Desert, and was arrested for a murder she had not committed. Back in Britain, Laird established herself as a major author of fiction for children and young adults, but she always wanted to return to Ethiopia. Her chance came in the late 1990s, when the British Council in Addis Ababa invited her to collect folk stories from every region of the country. Encountering ex-guerrilla fighters, camel traders, Coptic nuns and tribespeople en route, Laird has written a remarkable account of her journey interwoven with a treasure trove of stories featuring princes and maidens, snakes and lions, zombies and hyena-women.
The Author
Elizabeth Laird
Elizabeth Laird was born in New Zealand in 1943, the fourth of five children. In 1945, Laird and her family returned to Britain and she grew up in South London, where she was educated at Croydon High School. When she was eighteen, Laird started teaching at a school in Malaysia. She decided to continue her adventurous life, even though she was bitten by a poisonous snake and went down with typhoid. After attending the university in Bristol, Laird began teaching English in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She and a friend would hire mules and go into remote areas in the holidays. After a while at Edinburgh University, Laird worked in India for a summer. During travel, she met her future husband, David McDowall. The couple were married in 1975 and have two sons, Angus and William. Laird has also visited Iraq and Lebanon. She claims to dislike snakes, porridge and being cold but enjoys very dark chocolate, Mozart, reading and playing the violin in the Iraq Symphony Orchestra. She and her husband currently divide their time between London and Edinburgh.Related
-
Paperback | Pub: 01 Apr 2021£6.99Customs play an important part in all societies and offer fascinating insights into a country’s history and culture. Scotland boasts a multitude of unique customs, many of which can be traced back to the times of the Druids, Celts and Romans. This...
-
Paperback | Pub: 01 Feb 2002£7.99The sequel to the perennially popular Yellow on the Broom, Red Rowans and Wild Honey follows Betsy’s story to the end of the Second World War. She recounts in vivid detail the heady years of her adolescence, her courtship and her mother’s...
-
Paperback | Pub: 31 May 2018£12.99All over the world traditional tales used to be told at the fireseide until their place came to be taken by books, newspapers, radio and television. This is an entertaining collection from Scotland, recorded and collected by researchers from the...
-
Hardback | Pub: 25 Mar 2008£12.99
The classic folk tales of Scotland were passed down from storyteller to storyteller, and from the first sentence they held the attention of the listeners and readers as though a spell had been cast over them, transporting them to a magical realm...
