The Witch: And Other Tales Re-Told

"Fairy tales are like literary Velcro strips, nabbing us early and holding us tight; no matter how old or sophisticated we get, we stay emotionally connected to those simple tales of lost children, snoozing princesses and nasty witches. Except that maybe they’re not so simple, after all. In this collection of eight updated fairy tales, Jean Thompson demonstrates once again that she’s a modern-day Katherine Mansfield, capturing the culture with trenchant wit. These stories are entertaining, but also creepy; just when you think you know where Thompson is going — you look around and nothing is familiar anymore. Thompson is a wizard of the short story, and these tales are magical — and diabolical."