African American Folktales

“Roger D. Abrahams is one of the preeminent scholars of African American vernacular culture.”
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

“The text rolls along easily and amusingly. The rales are divided into types—trickster stories, moral example stories, old master stories—so that you can find the right sort of story for your taste or mood. Skipping about, in fact, is the way to enjoy the book and to appreciate the variety of background, tone, and narrative structure that it reveals.”
—The Atlantic

“In spite of the scholarly fullness of this book, the earthiness and zestful wit of the tales themselves are uncompromised . . . Abrahams’ thesis—that the black storytelling tradition is an incredibly rich and affirmative one—is well served by this extraordinary book, which is likely to become a standard text in the field.”
—Choice

“Earthy and comedic . . . a rousing good read . . . I suspect Mr. Abraham’s book will be read a generation hence.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Another masterful addition and accessible introduction to the captured myths of what the Mede calls ‘God’s Chiefdom’ . . . Sweeping across the continent . . . the juxtaposition of tribes and pacing of story lengths make for lively reading.”
—The Washington Post Book World