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 show more 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. show less

Budnitz brought back my interest in the short story. Her stories are compelling and funny. Her characters are defined enough to make them unique, but blank enough canvases to allow the reader to think "that character is just like someone I know-" which doesn't always happen, even in the hands of the best authors. She tackles issues ranging from national security and immigration (in fantastical ways) to family relationships and medical tragedies. Though the stories are all easily read, leave show more time to digest them! show less

It's like the love child of a fairy tale book and an inter-generational novel about mothers and daughters - I loved it.

What a bizarre and interesting book. These short stories reminded me a little of the stories written by A.M. Homes and T.C. Boyle. I don't know exactly why, but they did. Some of them were funny, most were twisted, most had a fantastical feel, and I found almost all of them compelling to read.

There were many times as I read these stories when I thought, 'Oooo, this must be symbolism, it feels so blatant.' (I don't usually feel that way when I read novels even though I do usually recognize show more symbolism there too; short stories just remind me so much of high school reading that they almost feel like assignments, and I spend a lot of my reading time trying to pin down the significance rather than just enjoying the story.)

But I did enjoy these stories, even the creepy 'leper in love' one. show less