I stumbled upon this collection in a used bookstore, drawn in by the whimsical title and the lovely old cover. Eleanor Hallowell Abbott was a popular author in the early 1900s, and reading her stories feels like stepping into a beautifully preserved photograph—one that's full of surprising life.

The Story

The book is a collection of short stories, but the title piece, 'Fairy Prince,' is the star. It's about a sensible, no-nonsense woman named Margaret who is hired as a companion to a young man named Paul. Paul isn't sick in a normal way; he believes he is a fairy prince, temporarily stranded in our world and pining for his homeland. Margaret's job is to humor him and keep him safe. The plot follows her journey from skeptical caretaker to someone who starts to see the world through his enchanted, lonely eyes. The other stories in the collection play with similar ideas—ordinary people encountering small, personal miracles, unexpected love, and quiet rebellions against a very proper society.

Why You Should Read It

Abbott's real magic is in her characters. They feel so genuine. Margaret isn't a wide-eyed believer; she's pragmatic and tired, which makes her gradual shift in perspective so powerful. Paul, the 'fairy prince,' is not just whimsical. He's portrayed with a deep melancholy that makes you wonder if his fantasy is a prison or the only thing keeping him sane. Abbott doesn't write about epic battles between good and evil. She writes about the battle between practicality and wonder, between what society expects and what the heart secretly wants. Her prose is gentle and often funny, but it cuts deep when it needs to.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for anyone who loves character-driven stories with a touch of the unusual. If you enjoy authors like E.M. Forster or L.M. Montgomery, but wish their stories had a slightly stranger, more psychological twist, you'll find a friend in Abbott. It's also a great pick for readers curious about early 20th-century popular fiction that's stood the test of time. Don't expect fast-paced action; instead, settle in for a thoughtful, charming, and sometimes poignant look at the fairy tales we create for ourselves just to get through the day.