The Lady of the Linden Tree

This collection will be a delight to lovers of the fairy tale, and a boon to storytellers of all ages. Here, Ms. Picard spins twelve magic new stories set in various regions of the world—Europe, the Middle east, Asia. In them the reader will meet a Chinese boy who found an almond tree that blossomed in the winter, a princess who chased a golden ball through an enchanted wood for one hundred years, and a kindly fox who was able to transform a poor servant girl into a beautiful princess. To each of these stories, Ms. Picard brings a distinction of style that earned her wide recognition as one of the finest contemporary storytellers of folk tales, myths and legends.


Barbara Leonie Picard was born in England in 1917 of mixed German-Venezuelan and French parentage. A long time resident of Lewes, Sussex, England, she died in 2011 at the age of 93. Several of her books were short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, and were selected as Notable Children’s Books by the American Library Association.


“A perennial admirer of myths, legends and fairy stories and an accomplished reteller of familiar ones, now tries her hand at creating a few of her own—an effort which exciting results. Ms. Picard is able to combine the enchantment and style of old favorites with a refreshing array of new situations. The Lady of the Linden Tree is a case in point. Here the knight displays the essence of chivalry by fulfilling the wishes of a woman of respect for her humanity. Needless to say, she is transformed by the knight’s deeds. Homage to tradition? The witty, the wicked and the wise are all here as are the king and the princess, the goblin and the goat, attractively arranged in sparkling new wrappings. A dozen provocative entertainments.” KIRKUS REVIEW