Burning Girls and Other Stories

A collection of stories heavy with Jewish folklore, feminism, and anti-capitalism. I have been looking forward to reading this since it was first announced, and it was even better than I could have hoped.

Some of the stars for me: “Among the Thorns”, a Jewish girl seeks revenge for the heartless killing of her father; “Phosphorus”, a haunting tale involving the London matchgirls’ strike of 1888; “Emma Goldman Takes Tea with the Baba Yaga”, exactly what the title infers; and the pice de rsistance “Burning Girls”, a Jewish girl tries to protect her family from both human and supernatural evil.

A few of the stories were a bit too abstract and/or overly whimsical for my taste (“Alice: A Fantasia”, “Lost in the Supermarket”, “Swimming”), but these were few and far between. They weren’t necessarily bad, just not something I enjoy. Maybe I just didn’t “get” them. If you find yourself in the same boat, I encourage you not to put the book down; just skip to the next story.

This is bound to be one of the best short story collections of 2021, and I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more of Schanoes in the future.

It is a breath of fresh air to read a collection of short stories. I hope 2021 revives the art of the short story. The Burning Girls contains a range of fantasy, historical fiction, and feminist representation. I especially enjoy the feminist spin on fairytales the author beautifully tackles difficult subject matter such as immigration and mental illness. Well written, a beautiful blend of fantasy and fiction, past and present. This collection will appear to a wide range of audiences.