The Village of Youth, and Other Fairy Tales

"The Village of Youth, and Other Fairy Tales" by Bessie Hatton is a treasury of enchanting stories born in the late 1800s, skillfully weaving together magic, life lessons, and a touch of fantasy. These stories explore ideas of being young, the power of love, and the mix of happiness and sadness in life. The title story tells about a young King who, despite having everything he could ever want, becomes obsessed with not getting old; so he cuts himself off from the older people in his kingdom and loses his joy. As the story starts, he splits his kingdom to keep age away, even isolating himself from his soon-to-be wife, Rowena. Together, Princess Rowena and the kind Lady Beryl decide to deal with the King's sadness by confronting Time itself! Motivated by her wish to keep the kingdom young forever, Beryl sets off on a journey to find a way to stop aging, filling the story with beautiful images and smart conversations about youth, age, and learning to accept the flow of life.