The Bronze Ring

The Bronze Ring is a fairy tale gathered by the Scottish writer Andrew Lang, first published in 1889 and read slowly for sleep.

Lang spent his career collecting old stories from across Europe and retelling them in plain, clear English for new generations of readers. The Bronze Ring is one of these: a short tale built from the same timeless pieces as the best-loved fairy stories, a wish, a piece of enchanted magic, and a journey that tests the person carrying it. Like much of Lang's work, it carries the calm, old-world logic of a story told by firelight, where kindness is rewarded and trouble is set right by the story's end.

It's a good pick for anyone who loves classic fairy tales and the once-upon-a-time feel of Grimm or Andersen. Elizabeth Grace reads quiet and unhurried, built for winding down rather than staying up for the ending, so the old, familiar shape of the tale can carry you off.