author
Elsie Spicer Eells
1880–1963
Drawn to the stories people told in far-off places, this American writer turned travel and folklore research into vivid retellings for children and general readers. Her books helped introduce English-speaking audiences to legends from Brazil, the Azores, and other parts of the Atlantic world.
3 Audiobooks
The Islands of Magic: Legends, Folk and Fairy Tales from the Azores
by Elsie Spicer Eells
Tales of Giants from Brazil
by Elsie Spicer Eells
Fairy Tales from Brazil: How and Why Tales from Brazilian Folk-Lore
by Elsie Spicer Eells
About the author
Born in West Winfield, New York, on September 21, 1880, Elsie Spicer Eells became known as a collector and reteller of traditional stories. She traveled widely in the early twentieth century and built her writing around the oral traditions she encountered, especially in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking regions.
She is best remembered for books that brought folk and fairy tales to new readers, including collections connected with Brazil and the Azores. Rather than inventing entirely new fantasy worlds, she worked as a bridge between cultures, reshaping legends and popular tales into lively English prose.
Eells died in Volusia, Florida, on May 24, 1963. Today, her work is valued both for its storytelling charm and for the glimpse it offers into how folklore was gathered, adapted, and shared with readers in the early twentieth century.