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A Fire in My Heart Kurdish Tales
Diane Edgecomb, Mohammed M.A. Ahmed, Çeto 0zel
Book Code: LU437X
ISBN: 1-59158-437-X
ISBN-13: 978-1-59158-437-7
200 pages, illustrations; photos
Libraries Unlimited
Publication: 12/30/2007
List Price: $40.00 (UK Sterling Price: £22.95)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 7 x 10
Subjects:
Series Title: World Folklore Series
Reviews:
  • A labor of love and a magnificent achievement, this collection of tales, legends, recipes, games and history takes readers vividly into the traditional village life of the Kurds, a little-known and politically beleaguered ethnic group whose homeland straddles the borders of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. Supported partly by grants (including one from NSN), Edgecomb traveled into Turkish Kurdistan, collecting stories from villagers whose language itself had been banned. The resulting book brings lively and unusual stories to light, each one carefully placed in its social and historical context.
    —Storytelling Magazine     May/June 2008
  • A Fire in My Heart: Kurdish Tales introduces readers to the Kurdish people, their cultural traditions, and their stories. It presents 33 tales representing all regions of Kurdistan and the four main Kurdish dialects--from the Kurdish Cinderella story "Fatima" to animal stories and stories based on legendary figures (e.g., Rusteme Zal, the Kurdish Hercules)--organized by tale type.
    —Library Media Connection     March 2008
  • Diane Edgecomb has spent seven years traveling all around Turkey gathering traditional Kurdish fairy tales, animal fables, and hero tales like that of Shahmaran, a half snake, half woman. Her book, A Fire in My Heart: Kurdish Tales, is the first comprehensive collection of those stories to be published in English.
    —The Boston Globe     January 21, 2008
  • This is the first book in my library covering tales from this specific region. A few of the tales are familiar but even those are interesting variants of stories collected from other regions. This book also contains the most detailed information about the culture from which the stories were collected and is illustrated throughout by photo's of people going about their daily work, providing an insight into the lives of the people. The stories vary in length and cover a fascinating range of material.
    —Storylines     Spring 2008
Description: The largest ethnic group without their own nation-state, there are an estimated 30-40 million Kurds living throughout the world today. The majority live in Kurdistan, a region stretching over parts of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. As a minority in these countries, the Kurds have struggled for independence throughout history and into recent times and have often been oppressed, persecuted and deported from their land. The purpose of this volume is to introduce readers to the Kurdish people, their cultural traditions and their stories. This unique collection, the first of its kind in English, features tales collected first-hand by the author during several years of travel to the Kurdish region of Turkey. A Fire In My Heart serves as a reference and program resource for educators and librarians, introducing students and the public to this ancient culture. The book is especially suited to those working with Middle Eastern children and their families in the US and abroad. From the Kurdish Cinderella story, "Fatima," and humorous animal tales to stories based on legendary figures, for example the Herculean Rustemê Zal, these thirty-three tales from the varied regions of Kurdistan and the four major dialects are a wonderful resource for storytellers, folklorists and scholars. After seven years recording Kurdish tellers and traveling to remote mountain villages the author provides a valuable collection of previously unpublished tales, traditional recipes and games. The book is augmented by stories translated and adapted from small tale collections in Kurdish, as well as rare color photos from Iraqi-Kurdistan in 1955 and recent photos of village life. Background information on the Kurdish people, their history, land and customs is provided. All levels.
Table of Contents:
  • Acknowledgements
  • Foreword
  • Part 1: Background
  • Part 2: The Stories Appendix: Pronunciation Guide
  • Index
  • About the Author and Contributors
LC Card Number: 2007028810
LCC Class: GR271
Dewey Class: 398
PDF Catalogs:
LU School Library Spring 2008.pdf
LU Public Library Spring 2008.pdf
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