The Moon in the Well
Wisdom Tales to Transform Your Life, Family, and Community

Erica Helm Meade
Foreword by David Abram

This book contains 65 stories from around the world, handed down through oral tradition and steeped in their respective cultures. Following each tale are interpretive comments and suggested uses by the author—a therapist and professional storyteller—and true-life examples of changes that can be made when a healing story is taken to heart.

The book includes a foreword by David Abram and an introduction which addresses common questions about storytelling, such as its origins and its importance in healing, teaching, and community building. A theme index lists hundreds of themes that hold psychological, social, cultural, and environmental messages pertinent to our times.

These timeless tales will be enjoyed by story lovers of all ages, but especially those who want to bring relevant wisdom tales into the dialogue of everyday life. (Includes free CD of author reading stories from the book.)

"Erica Helm Meade has given us a valuable collection of teaching stories and many wise ways to use them. A blessing for discovering the modern power of these ancient inspirations."
—Jack Kornfield
author of A Path with Heart

"This is a lovely conglomeration of stories—Irish, Greek, Persian, Siberian, Chilean, North American. It will be helpful for all of us looking for good stories to tell our children or someone else's children at a crucial moment of their lives."
—Robert Bly

"More than any other book in years,The Moon in the Well explains the rightful and useful place of myth and stories in people's lives. Erica Helm Meade does this in an engaging way, making connections between myth and story and how people are in the world—as individuals, members of families, communities, in nature, and in other larger senses of the world. Her retelling of stories—some well-known, others not—is alone worth the price of the book."
—Rick Simonson
Elliott Bay Book Company and author of Multi-Cultural Literacy