Campfire Stories: The Adirondacks explores 17 captivating tales of the Adirondacks from 14 different authors. This travel-sized compilation edited by Dave and Ilyssa Kyu is from their new Campfire Stories: Tales and Travel Companion series, which highlights stories from different regions of the world that inform readers about the history and significance of the lands.
The authors included in the Adirondack edition, such as Robin Wall Kimmerer, Jeanne Robert Foster, Anne LaBastille, and William Chapman White, all have a connection to the region. For example, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and scientist, touches on her connection to the land, the healing properties of the Adirondack greenery, and the history of natural medicinal remedies in her piece, titled “Blue Line Medicine.” Kimmerer’s writing educates readers on the origin of natural medicines and how Indigenous people used them to cure diseases. Other authors capture poetic fragments of childhood memories in the mountains while others provide informative accounts of the cultural significance of natural items like birch bark, maple syrup, and tobacco. All of these stories are arranged in a seamless order that creates an enchanting rendition of Adirondack culture and history, revealing both the emotional and practical dimensions of the Adirondack experience.
Campfire Stories takes readers beyond the well-known tourist sites in the area and presents authentic perspectives by those that know the land best. Though Lake Placid and the fame around the historical Olympic site is duly noted in the editors’ introduction, it is pleasantly missing throughout the rest of the book. Instead, Campfire Stories highlights the Adirondack’s hidden gems and places focus on the Indigenous practices and beliefs of the surrounding regions. Likewise, though the Kyus mention the “High Peaks” (a group of the tallest mountains in the region) and encourage readers to become “46ers” by hiking up all 46 peaks on the list, they also call readers to enjoy the low peaks that don’t make the list, as they offer similarly breathtaking views.
The editors include a helpful section on storytelling tips, which features specific steps to successfully read aloud the stories of this collection. Most of the stories are meant to be read among adults for the full serene experience of Adirondack inspired poetry and writing, but Alfred B. Street’s “The Lower Saranac” and “My Canoe,” and David Fadden’s “How the Birds got Their Feathers” are light-hearted, fun pieces to share with kids around a campfire. Street’s poems evoke jubilance as they flow with rhyme, rhythm, and exclamation marks. His poetry is descriptive, highlighting a vivid journey through Saranac Lake and his beautifully crafted canoe through playful language. Fadden’s story is a humorous tale about how the birds of the Adirondack region got their feathers. Fadden notes that this tale is originally an oral tradition passed down from his grandfather, who established the Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center with his wife in 1954, and that his mission with telling it is to share the culture of the Haudenosaunee.
In addition to the storytelling tips section, there are adorable illustrations by Melissa McFeeters scattered throughout the book; a map of the vast Adirondack region that pinpoints various attractions and natural landmarks; guides on what to do, how to leave no trace behind and what firewood to use (as wood taken from just 50 miles outside the Adirondack region may be infested with harmful insects and can contaminate the region), towns to visit, where to camp, and community resources. All in all, Campfire Stories: The Adirondacks is more than a travel companion; it is an invitation to explore the region itself. Through weaving voices of poets, storytellers, community elders, and scientists, the editors remind us that the Adirondacks is a living archive of memories and culture. Whether read aloud by a fire or quietly to yourself, this collection—and the essence of the mountains that it carries—lingers long after the last page.
You can buy a copy of Campfire Stories: The Adirondacks and the other books in the series here.
Campfire Stories: The Adirondacks
Edited by Ilyssa Kyu and Dave Kyu
Mountaineers Books
March 15, 2025
184 pages
Tori Harrigan is a fifth year at Drexel pursuing a BA in English and a concentration in writing. Alongside her studies throughout her college career, Tori was a Sports Editor at The Triangle, Drexel’s independent, student-run newspaper, and became Drexel Ski Team’s Freestyle Captain and USCSA’s Atlantic Highlands Conference Women’s Snowboard Freestyle Champion in 2025. In her free time, she loves cooking while listening to music, watching anime, and catching up with family and friends.