{Put This One on Your TBR List} Review of Jackalope Wives and Other Stories by T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon by Karen S. Wiesner

 

{Put This One on Your TBR List} Review of Jackalope Wives and Other Stories by T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon

by Karen S. Wiesner 

  Beware: May contain unintended spoilers! 

T. Kingfisher (the pen name of Ursula Vernon) is a versatile author, illustrator, and artist. She has a page on her Red Wombat website labeled "Short Stories" that includes links to her short stories, poems, articles, and essays, some of which are included in a variety of different anthologies. In this collection, she's assembled a bunch of them, some that I've already reviewed, but will included my previous reviews here so you don't have to keep jumping around to find them. The author also did the lovely artwork on and inside this volume. 

Note that "The Tomato Thief" came after "Telling the Bees" within the anthology, but I placed them together here because they're part of a "series". 

"Godmother": According to the author, this offering was the catalyst for Nettle & Bone (which I've already reviewed on this blog). Here, a godmother defends her reason for helping one child over the other. There's something poetic about this flash-fiction that evokes lovely images cast in shadows and, honestly, equal amounts of confusion for me. 

"Jackalope Wives" and "The Tomato Thief": This duo features Grandma Harken, a clever old woman who is far more than who…and what… she seems. She lives in a house with its back to the desert, and she understands this harsh environment much better than most. Her biting humor and compelling way of looking at the world around her make both stories irresistible.

In "Jackalope Wives", Grandma Harken's daughter Eve has a very foolish son who's, unfortunately, much beloved by females. However, he's only attracted to a jackalope wife. This shy being has the capability of removing her skin to dance under moonbeams. The boy does something stupid to obtain one, and Grandma Harken has to set things right. This very unusual folktale has an interesting message: "You get over what you can't have faster than you get over what you could. And we shouldn't always get what we think we want." Strange things happen in the desert, indeed!

In "The Tomato Thief", Grandma Harken is determined to find out who's daring to steal her famous, homegrown tomatoes. The answer surprises her and forces her to act. If she doesn't, those living in the desert will be in grave danger. It's very hard not to fall in love with a story with lines like these two gems: "Sometimes the best cure for life was a ripe tomato" and "…there was no telling how low a body would sink once they'd started down the road of tomato theft."

I loved both of these stories. I'm left wanting more of Grandma Harken and her hilarious wisdom. 

"Wooden Feathers": When artists invest too much of themselves in their craft, what can go wrong? There was something a bit terrifying in this story's answer to that question. 

"Editing": This short essay is something all readers should read--and heed! 

"Bird Bones": Something weird is going on with the birds in this tale. The underlying message derived (possibly not the author's intention?) is a bit sinister! 

"That Time With Bob and the Unicorn": Um, what in the weirdness is this!? A sexist named Bob wants to capture a unicorn, but, not being a virgin, how does one go about such a thing? Yeah, what the heck is this? The whole story really is just crazy, crazy, and more crazy!

"Razorback": So a witch meets a boar with a taste for magic, and the outcome boils down to what insane things one person will do to avenge someone they love. This story is classic Kingfisher. 

"The Dryad's Shoe": In this Cinderella reimagined story, there's a fairy godbird (a tufted titmouse) that kind of works for a dryad (an oak nymph or spirit) that lives in Hannah's family garden. This poor titmouse tries so hard to get Hannah set up for a good life, especially after her father remarries a woman with two daughters about Hannah's age. Hannah loves nothing more than to work in the garden, to raise bees, and to grow things. She has no interest whatsoever in balls, gowns, dancing, or pompous Dukes. Growing her own oranges, though--now that would be something! This story is totally unexpected…which is something I now always expect from T. Kingfisher. The stepmother isn't particularly evil, and the stepsisters are just trying to make their way in life so there are no hard feelings between the sisters. Way to turn an old tale on its head. Very enjoyably so at that. 

"Let Pass the Horses Black": A sister attempts to rescue her brother from the Queen of Fairies. This is an offering I felt like I really didn't understand. We were thrust into what was supposed to be a suspenseful scene without any setup. I never really got caught up enough to follow it. I left with the impression the sister didn't really care for the brother and was only doing what she was told to in trying to get him back after he's kidnapped. Then the not-so-evil fairy queen jarred her out of the notion that she had to be her brother's champion. For this reader, much more development was needed to make a cohesive narrative that could come out to a satisfactory resolution. 

"This Vote is Legally Binding": This poem is in support of the solidarity of women. 

"Telling the Bees": First published in Cicada (Cricket Magazine), this story is about the known superstition that bees must be informed once the owner of a house is dead. I found this short tale to be gruesome and a bit shocking when considering that the audience was younger readers. I'm also feeling highly superstitious now and believe I need to go talk to the bees as soon as possible. 

"In Questionable Taste": A poem about why planting a seed shouldn't result in a (free) yield but miraculously it does. 

"Origin Story": In this disturbing tale, a fairy works in a charnel house, taking apart dead beasts and creating something new. Not surprisingly, the humans find her creepy. You'll need a strong stomach and solid backbone to get through this one. I would be surprised if you don't get a chill, as I did, at the end of the story. 

"Pocosin": What this title means is a raised peat ecosystem--a rare thing that's becoming endangered in our world. The fictional aspect focuses on a woman (who seems more than just an ordinary human) trying to help a "god" possum from falling into the wrong hands when it's injured. This main character in all ways seemed (to me) identical to Grandma Harken in the Jackalope and Tomato stories. I wish it had been her instead because I probably would have enjoyed it much more if told through that lens.

"It Was a Day": This funny little poem celebrates the uniqueness of success and segues nicely into the acknowledgements that you really shouldn't miss, as it tells the author's story of winning an Alfie Award (created by George R. R. Martin) for "Jackalope Wives". 

~*~

Overall, I didn't like this collection as much as the previous one by Kingfisher (reviewed last week), although the stories featuring Grandma Harken are actually my favorites of both. Fans of this author will certainly find a mixed bag of intriguing randomness, perfect for those days when you just don't know what you want to read and you're willing to invite what you settle on to surprise you. Kingfisher, more than most people (writers in particular), certainly looks at the world very differently. I, for one, am always interested in her very compelling perspective. 

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series.

Visit her website and blog here: https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/

and https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog

Visit her publisher here: https://www.writers-exchange.com/Karen-Wiesner/