Family Folktales - Write Your Own Family Stories
written by Karen Pierce Gonzales,
reviewed by Nancy J. Reid

I found the idea of people writing their own family folk tales intriguing. Once I started to the read the book, I could see all sorts of uses for it. The workbook is laid out in a very simple, easy to follow and easy to understand manner, and gives the reader the confidence needed to write. The suggestions for getting started, using people, places or things, is just a super idea. I can see this bringing families together and helping anyone interesting in writing, getting a good start. If I had young children, I would definitely start them on a regular routine of writing, using this book as a guideline.

The exercises are imaginative, and get you down to work right away. A lot of thought has gone into the exercises and the whole process of writing. The author cautions against over-thinking and reminds you of what a folktale is. She even touches on the possibility of family members seeing things differently, and how to handle that eventuality. I can see many people adopting this as a relaxation technique and I love the idea of combining it with scrap booking. 

What a great way to revitalize what we have lost, our oral family history!

Karen Pierce Gonzales is an award-winning fiction and non-fiction writer. She holds a Bachelors degree in Creative Writing and Anthropology from Sonoma State University. She has worked as a journalist since 1980.
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