A Thousand Beginnings and Endings

Title:

Author:

Oh, Ellen

Kanakia, Rahul

Lee, Lori M.

Myers, E. C.

Pon, Cindy

Saeed, Aisha

Thakrar, Shveta

Wong, Alyssa

Chapman, Elsie

Ahdieh, Renée

Charaipotra, Sona

Chhibber, Preeti

Chokshi, Roshani

Bodard, Aliette de

de la Cruz, Melissa

Kagawa, Julie

Subject:

Literary Anthologies

Mythology

Folklore

Young Adult Fiction

Description:

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries. Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.Compiled by We Need Diverse Books's Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renée Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong.A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother's mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place.From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish. For fans of Neil Gaiman's Unnatural Creatures and Ameriie's New York Times–bestselling Because You Love to Hate Me.

Publisher:

Greenwillow Books

HarperCollins

Date:

2018/06/26

Digital Format:

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Kindle

Language:

English

Summary

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries.

Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

Compiled by We Need Diverse Books's Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renée Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong.

A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother's mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place.

From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish. For fans of Neil Gaiman's Unnatural Creatures and Ameriie's New York Times-bestselling Because You Love to Hate Me.

Author Notes

Renée Ahdieh is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and author of The Wrath and the Dawn. She made The IBooks Bestseller List with her title Flame in the Mist.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (5)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Fifteen Asian authors-including Renee Ahdieh, Melissa de la Cruz, Aisha Saeed, and Rahul Kanakia-share genre-spanning short retellings of myths and legends traditional to their own cultures in this outstanding anthology edited by Chapman and We Need Diverse Books president Oh. Roshani Chokshi's lush, elegant "Forbidden Fruit" sets the tone for the anthology, remixing the Filipino folktale of Maria Makiling, a mountain spirit spurned by her mortal love. In Alyssa Wong's "Olivia's Table," a take on the traditional Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival, the protagonist inherits an important role in helping the dead pass on to the next plane of existence. Preeti Chhibber chooses a contemporary setting to showcase the Hindu festival Navratri in "Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers," in which a group of young girls resolves to teach an overconfident boy a much-deserved lesson. Each story is followed by a missive from its author, sharing inspiration and background on creative choices and changes. Thoughtfully compiled and written, this compendium is a must-read. Ages 13-up. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

Fifteen authors of East and South Asian descent present original short stories inspired by culture-specific tales from their own childhoods; immediately following each story, the authors provide synopses and/or other information about their source material. The Hmong cautionary tale The Woman and the Tiger spawns a dystopian story of an android uprising (Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee). From the South Korean epic myth Chasa Bonpuli springs a story of a daughters mourning, a role-playing video game, and the blurred line between reality and virtual reality (The Land of the Morning Calm by E. C. Myers). Aswang, the Filipino creature of the night, inspires the quest of a modern-day teen girl vampire in New York City (Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz). Middle-school friendship drama has its origin in the Gujarati tale of the goddess Durga (Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber). All of the stories achieve emotional depth and connection while showcasing each storytellers unique literary voice. The co-editors choice to preserve the many culturally authentic words and expressions used throughout, even if unfamiliar to outsiders (and without the interruption of those pesky parenthetical English translations), allows fluidity in the storytelling. It also shows respect to young readers who are more than capable of deciphering meanings from context or looking up definitions to gain even richer understandings of the tales and their cultural bases. roxanne hsu Feldman (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Authors Oh (CEO of We Need Diverse Books) and Chapman (Dualed, 2013) have created this much-needed anthology of Asian myths and folktales, retold by diasporic Asian writers. Each of the 15 stories is followed by an author statement that deepens the meaning of these stories of Filipino, Chinese, Hmong, Punjabi, Vietnamese, Korean, South Asian, Gujurati, and Japanese origin. It's a wonderful concept, and the styles and subjects are as diverse as the countries and cultures represented, ranging from traditional period settings to imaginative science fiction. One standout is Alyssa Wong's poignant take on the Chinese legend of the Hungry Ghost, which features a mixed-race lesbian protagonist mourning her dead mother. As the editors note in their introduction, We would have been overjoyed to have found this anthology, filled with characters with skin and hair and names more like ours, in our beloved libraries. Although there will certainly be a special thrill of recognition for readers of Asian descent, these stories are for everyone.--Carton, Debbie Copyright 2018 Booklist

School Library Journal Review

Gr 8 Up-Fifteen well-known young adult authors retell myths and legends from a variety of Asian countries and regions. Ghosts, androids, demons, and avatars make an appearance in this anthology. Each story is followed by a short essay in which the authors discuss the origins of their retold myths. This collection fills a gap in modern retellings of fairy tales and myths by presenting non-European myths. With stories that cover the science fiction, fantasy, contemporary, and paranormal genres, there is something for everyone. Alyssa Wong takes the Chinese hungry ghost festival and places it in the American Southwest. Lori M. Lee's retelling of the Hmong folktale "The Woman and the Tiger" involves an android who experiences emotions. Preeti Chhibber's tale of the Hindu festival Navrati takes place in a gym in New Jersey and demonstrates how revenge can be bittersweet. In "Code of Honor," a Filipino aswang-similar to a vampire-attends high school. Give to fans of Marissa Meyer's "Lunar Chronicles" or Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. VERDICT An excellent first purchase for all libraries.-Jenni Frencham, formerly at Columbus Public Library, WI © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A collection of Asian myths and legends in which beloved stories of spirits, magic, family, love, and heartbreak are combined with elements from modern teens' lives.In this anthology, Asian authors from a variety of backgrounds retell some of their cultures' favorite myths and legends. It begins with a more traditional Filipino myth, retold by Roshani Chokshi, of a beautiful guardian spirit associated with Mount Makiling who falls in love with a human and loses her heart. Lori M. Lee changes a well-known Hmong children's folktale into a story of deception and androids. Pulling common elements from a Korean epic, E.C. Myers creates a tale filled with traditional magical beings and online role-playing games. After each short story, the author gives background information about their inspiration as well as a description of the original tale. Words and names from the different languages that are reflective of their cultures are integrated into each retelling. The tone of the stories varies from eerie to heartwarming to tragic, and with such a variety of emotion and experiences to explore, nearly any teen can find something to relate to. The editors and authors have pulled together to create an incredible anthology that will keep readers on the edges of their seats, wanting more.A marvelous anthology of retold Asian myths and legends tying the traditional and modern together and accessible to all teens of all backgrounds. (Mythology and folklore. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (5)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Horn Book Review

Booklist Review

School Library Journal Review

Kirkus Review

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