Tales from the Gishlan Wood by Helen M. Pugsley

She credits her mentor, June Wilson Read, another Wyoming writer, her teacher Mrs. This is largely due to the fact that Pugsley grew up on her family’s ranch in Jay Em and now resides in Laramie, WY. Content that eludes to a shared experience like, “I picked a field my family owned, sighed as I pulled on my gloves, opened the gate, drove through and closed it behind me-the most important part.” put not only a smile from the reader but a sense that is rare in contemporary fiction, that the writer actually does know what she’s talking about when setting a book at least partly in Wyoming. Pugsley’s first person writing style, combined with the scattering of rural references allows Wyoming, and other rural readers to relate to a fantasy book that might not be their first choice for genre. In Tooth Fairy, Pugsley addresses the contemporary issues of human trafficking, the pandemic, political upheaval and racial tensions without getting mired down or allowing those issues to be the main focus.

The reviews on Amazon and Goodreads would indicate otherwise. Pugsley partly chose self-publishing because she wasn’t sure if “anyone would want to read a book about the pandemic”. Tooth Fairy was written during, about and reflective of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first two novels were published by small publishing houses, however Pugsley chose to self-publish her third book. Pugsley has managed to write a contemporary fantasy while still firmly rooted in creating another world for her readers. While “The Tooth Fairy” is not set in the same world, it draws from the same well of humor and cultural observation. Pugsley had previously introduced audiences to the land of Gishlan in her “War and Chess” and “Tales from the Gishlan Wood” published in 20. On Monday, Pugsley presented her third book, “The Tooth Fairy” to those gathered at the brown bag lunch event at the Niobrara County Library. Pugsley’s appreciation and respect for Wyoming, while communicating that feeling that many young people have of “wanting out to see the bigger world” is one of the perspectives that lends her books weight, authenticity and humor.

LUSK – Growing up on the Wyoming prairie many would have thought the landscape uninspiring, at least for a young writer with fantasy genre aspirations, but Helen Pugsley saw nothing but potential in the vastness around her. Updated: 1 year ago / Posted Mar 16, 2022

Tales from the Gishlan Wood by Helen M. Pugsley