The Fairy Ring, or, Elsie and Frances Fool the World: a True Story
by Mary Losure
Candlewick Press, 2012. 184 pgs. Nonfiction.
This is the true story of Elsie and Frances, two girls who fooled the world with their fake fairy photographs back in the early 1900s. Those photographs would go on to haunt the girls throughout their whole life. I found this book with all its intimate details of what occurred to be fascinating. For instance, I did not know the circumstances that led the girls to take the first photograph. I also did not know that Frances was no longer living with Elsie when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (author of Sherlock Holmes) showed up on the scene. They forced her to return and take more photographs. That's when the girls' real trouble began. Beautiful black and white reproductions of all the original fairy photographs are included, as well as photos of the girls and some of Elsie's original artwork. If you like learning more about odd little events in history, this book is a delightful must read.
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