This gruesome witchy tale made me want to hide my cauldron. Or seek the needled poppet that makes my joints stiff and sore. Sparse writing and deep historical acuity makes current gender relations seem louse-ridden and dangerously power-laden. No Samantha in sight.
… worlds compressed into human forms …
Proof of the power of the short story. Each vignette carefully traces over the bruises left by teenage vulnerability, showing the destructive power of choice bound by the contingencies in family, finances and friends. Easy to read, a long way from light.
