Judy Budnitz

Sometimes the bandits attacked the soldiers and stole their military boots and jackets for themselves. Sometimes the soldiers wore shaggy fur cloaks to keep out the cold. Sometimes the wolves walked on their hind legs like men.

Ilana was born in a village in the forests of Eastern Europe, a place where creatures from myths and fairy tales were part of everyday life. But at the age of sixteen, tired of looking after her younger brothers and sisters, she left home for good. On her travels, she falls in love with a musician, and they decide to emigrate to a land of opportunity where the streets are paved with gold, although Ilana doesn't fall for that particular fairy-tale.

Although Ilana's early life is full of magic, adventure and a happy marriage, the lives of her daughter Sashie and grand-daughter Mara are much more constrained, and only her great-granddaughter Nomie is prepared to listen to the fantastical tales that Ilana tells about her family and life in the old country, and may finally be able to break the pattern.

Gloomier than your average magical realist story.

My mother, all three said, with a mixture of love and fear.
My brother, they said, with adoration.
My daughter, they said, their voices fearful and uncertain.
Mother. Brother. Daughter.
If you did not look you would think it was the same person every time.… (more)

Tiptree shortlist 1999. Didn't finish. The first third was dull "eastern-European peasants in the big forest", with a few half-hearted re-workings of old folk-tales, When if finally got to "one of the peasant goes to America and lives a totally unremarkable life" I gave up completely - about half-way through the book. The only thing that was vaguely SF&F was the folk tales, and the only thing that vaguely examined gender was that Bluebeard was a woman in one of them. Very disappointing for a Tiptree.… (more)