Oman's Folklore, Popular Beliefs, and Women's Oral Storytelling is a fascinating collection of tales that I read with great interest. Cinderella is alive and well in Omani women's storytelling. And so are magicians, ogres, sorcerers, and evil stepmothers (and some stepfathers). Many of its motifs are reminiscent of famous stories in “The Thousand and One Nights” and “Sindbad.” Mapping oral traditions through the centuries is notoriously difficult. Here one may come face to face with elements that found their way into those monuments of world literature.

Marcel Kurpershoek, Visiting Scholar at New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Oman's Folklore, Popular Beliefs, and Women's Oral Storytelling offers a wonderful journey through the rich tradition of Omani folktales narrated by women. Along with introductory chapters about women's customs and beliefs, as well their storytelling traditions, this very readable volume presents a collection of sixty folktales recently recorded from different regions of Oman. The tales are beautifully translated and annotated by Ahmed Al-Rawi, after which a meticulous appendix lists tale-types, sources, and scholarly publications. This volume will certainly be enjoyed by both general readers and scholars alike, whether their primary interest is folktales, women, or Middle Eastern culture in general.

Dwight F. Reynolds, Distinguished Professor, UC Santa Barbara, USA, author of Arab Folklore: A Handbook