Faery Tale: One Woman's Search for Enchantment in a Modern World

Faery Tale: One Woman's Search for Enchantment in a Modern World by Signe Pike is, pardon the repetition, an enchanting book. Overall, the book struck me as a version of Eat, Pray, Love but for modern, American pagans - and those that love them. The only reason I say pagans is due to the, seemingly, very specific audience Pike was aiming for: those that love spirits, earth spirituality, and magic. While Pike admits she isn't necessarily pagan, she further admits to not truly claiming any belief system. (Though, she dabbled in Wicca in her teenage years.)So, please, when you read this book - and you should - read it for the full story that it is. Too many people read books like Pike's (or her spiritual older sister, Elizabeth Gilbert) and focus on one part of the story. Most reviews I've read seems to be upset that Pike's personal journey kept inconveniently getting in the way of all the faery-hunting. The reviewers seem to be completely missing the point of the story, as it was not a field guide on how to properly hunt for nature spirits. Let me repeat that:THIS BOOK IS NOT A HOW-TO-HUNT-FAERIES BOOK!Or, at least, not completely. There is definitely that element to the book. It is a journey book. A book about deciding to find the mystical in the mundane, about seeking the divine with logic and reason and learning when to throw those things aside and follow your intuition. It tells grown, educated adults that it is ok to be curious about magic and faeries and ghosts and all the beings of folklore, and it is further ok to seek them out, sit them down, and have a chat.The book came to me at a time when I was in need of a spark, an impetus to re-engage with my spiritual quest. Oddly enough, faeries had been on the forefront of my thoughts. After reading Faery Tale Pike inspired me to hunt for those winged sprites in my own backyard. I'll keep you posted on what I find.Read below for my 5 Star Breakdown & Rating.Technicals: Signe Pike used to be a book editor. As such, the sentence structure and grammar don't inhibit your reading. However, as with any book, there are typos. While it seemed like there were a few more typos as the story went on (perhaps her editor doesn't use a very fine tooth comb?), Pike assured me that they were being corrected for future editions and re-releases. Thus, this star is earned.Obtuse/Obscure: The author is an open book. She tells you right up front what kind of story this is, whether the reader wants to focus on the entire book or not. While the story isn't for everyone, that isn't a negative. It is written for an audience, as is every book, and it is quite easy for members of that audience to become engrossed in the story. Star earned.Characters: Sometimes in memoirs such as this the characters can be a bit one-sided, the author's narrow remembrance. While you don't see many of the characters for very long, you are able to get to know a very intimate piece of them during the conversation between the author and the person. Pike was keenly aware of every nuance of her interviewees and didn't write in a question/answer format. The folks in her story are believable, though they are a bit stunted. Many of the conversations didn't seem as fleshed out as I'd like, and I found myself thinking, "But why didn't you ask this? Or that? Or...really, you're already done talking?" These are the earliest interviews, however, and don't represent the latter meat of the book. Star still earned, though some points get deducted out of sprite...I mean spite. (Come on...someone had to make the fairy joke.)Memorable: If you're a member of Pike's target audience, then this book will stay with you. In fact, I don't doubt you'll pick it up and flip to a particular chapter/country and re-read just for the pleasure or reference. While it doesn't break new ground in the travel-book-as-spiritual-and-emotional-journey category, it does do its predecessors justice. I wouldn't be too surprised if this turned out to be a movie. Or, at least, a really good show on Lifetime. Torch earned.Story: The story is a treasure. Though, to be fair, it vacillates rather quickly between flashbacks of an emotionally abusive and physically ill father to singing in a field with chocolate in hand trying to catch a faery. I sort of get what the other reviewers were saying. It's not that the two stories don't fit together, but the transition between the two, the blending of past and present, wasn't always the smoothest. Just as you're getting used to intuitional kismet of black feathers and blue jackets and hunting for the Sidhe, you're back with a young girl who doesn't understand why her dad broke her stopwatch. Granted, this is Pike's first book, and I am sure things will be smoother in future endeavors.I'm a picky reviewer. So, please, don't let anything I say stop you from reading the book. There are a few imperfections, but all books have them. All in all, I'd say this book is 4 1/2 stars! The only reason it didn't earn the full 5 is because of those minor details. The abrupt change of tone and pace that could happen when a flashback hits you right in the middle of an emotional high in the faery-hunting, present-day storyline. The characters who were so interesting that you wished there were just a page or two more spent filling out the interview.I had the pleasure of speaking with Signe Pike, the author, for an interview on Inciting A Riot: the Podcast. I truly hope each of you will go and take a listen, because she is a wonderful person. She is bright and bubbly and knowledgeable and deeply wishes to share her experiences and hopes they fuel your own journey. Buy this book. It has my full recommendation.

Book editor Signe Pike was unhappy with working a corporate daily grind. Things come to a head when her father dies, leaving Signe confused about her ambivalent relationship with him and intensely grieving. She wants to recapture her childhood’s happy times, which felt magical.After a trip to Mexico lures her into thinking that nature spirits might exist and desperately wanting to find proof that will restore the enchantment of her childhood, Signe books a trip to England, the Isle of Man, Ireland, and Scotland. In the U.K., she meets a quirky cast of characters, some famous, like artist Brian Froud. She finds an assortment of believers and unbelievers everywhere she goes. Some of her experiences seem psychic, while others are inexplicable.While she admits she doesn’t find proof, she does find reasons to cling to hope. Questioning whether or not her experiences are merely her imagination, she wonders if that makes them any less real. And she does find beguiling evidence.I enjoyed this book. Signe is a “normal” person (whatever that may be) who does seem a bit self-conscious about her quest. She pleads with us to understand she’s not crazy. But she didn’t come across to me as odd at all. Deep down inside, don’t most of us want mystery and magic in our lives?By turns funny, sad, and poignant, the book may not convince everyone that faery folk exist. But Signe Pike’s quest makes for enjoyable reading. Finding definitive answers may be in her future, but that’s not the book’s point to me. The point is to find a passion for pursuing. We all need meaning in our lives and can all use a little help finding it. I recommend this book to anyone with an open mind and heart.

Faery Tale is a journey of discovery...not just in the story told by the author, but for the reader as well. I had always viewed fairies from the periphery, loving the idea of them. This book helped me see the reality of them. I was introduced to Faery Tale when I attended a book festival where Signe was speaking on the topic of memoir writing. I was captivated by the subject matter of her book and bought it on the spot. As I opened the pages to read it...Signe's experience opened up a new world for me. Having just left the corporate world in search of my own new adventure, I had no idea that fairies were going to lead me on an exploration of possibilities.At the beginning of the book, I was a little apprehensive when she describes her experience in Mexico as I was not seeing the friendly sparkly fairies that I had always imagined them to be. I trusted Signe and continued with her on the path of the story. As she takes you further on her journey, the fairies' light begins to shine until they are fully illuminated in Glastonbury, England. As a result of meeting Signe and reading her wonderful book, I followed my intuition and decided to join Signe and Raven, along with six other women, on a retreat held in Glastonbury the following month called "Return to Faerie." Now this has to be one special book for it to have inspired me to finally obtain a passport and take my first trip overseas. Everything you read about her time in Glastonbury is beyond true...it is truly amazing!Much of my own life has been a quest for spiritual enlightenment, as it is for most people. As a Christian, (Yes, a Christian who believes in fairies!) I long for spirituality based on the essence of acceptance and love beyond the pulpit and confines of a church building. Prayer and yoga meditations have brought me to the threshold, but through Signe's sharing of her experience in this book, a bridge was found to take my personal beliefs to a new level. That bridge is nature - its beauty and wonder - that which we so often take for granted. No matter what your personal religious belief may be; Agnostic, Pagan, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jew or Christian...make room for the fairies to weave their magic through your soul...and hopefully unite us all with the common thread of love. Read Signe's book and see how it speaks to your own heart. You may be surprised what you discover.

Such a fun read. Also quite informative and inspiring. If you believe in fairies, this book is a must.

It's an interesting blend of history, lore , and personal experience. If you are interested in faeries but still have one foot on the ground, this is a good book.

This beautiful book is a magical, deeply spiritual tale of a journey to rediscover a childlike love of life and the world. From Mexico to the UK, and back to small-town America, the writer takes us on an incredible trek into enlightenment. If you want to learn to see the magic in the world around you, so easily missed in our modern rush-hour lives, you need to read this book. Once you've started it, you won't be able to put it down until you find the faeries with Signe.Ignore the reviewers who say that Brits won't see our own country in this. Like seeing Christmas through a child's eyes, sometimes we need to see our own world through the eyes of one who wants to see magic in it. That's exactly what you see in this book - a magical Britain. We have lost the ability to see the faeries in our own gardens, meadows and stone circles - the ones we used to be able to see, when we remembered King Arthur and the May Queen and the gods and goddesses of old. Maybe we need a non-Brit to show us where to find the faeries again. I know I did.

So badly written I'm amazed Penguin published it. Laced with unpleasant colloquialisms and street talk, you will be hard pressed to extract any meaningful lore about faeries or the world of fey. If this has become standard storytelling fare, then I'm afraid we've hit rock-bottom! Oh... and I didn't learn anything knew from reading it.

An interesting mix of a book, part travelogue, part coming to terms with death, part fairy search. A you would expect from an editor of penguin books it is written in an easy style which encourages the reader to keep page turning. What comes across is a person who is desperate to believe that some sort of benign fairy world exists and searches out those who will reinforce that belief. At the same time there is a lurking sceptic at work in the back of her mind, so she is wary of committing to the bold statement that fairies defiantly exist and they are… For me the best part of the book was here journey through parts of Ireland, worst bit was her stay at Glastonbury where its difficult to find someone who doesn’t believe in fairies.