An exquisite collection of haunting, magical stories from Newbery Medalist Kelly Barnhill
When Mrs. Sorensenâs husband dies, she rekindles a long-dormant love with an unsuitable mate in âMrs. Sorensen and the Sasquatch.â In âOpen the Door and the Light Pours Through,â a young man wrestles with grief and his sexuality in an exchange of letters with his faraway beloved. âDreadful Young Ladiesâ demonstrates the strength and powerâknown and unknownâof the imagination. In âNotes on the Untimely Death of Ronia Drake,â a witch is haunted by the deadly repercussions of a spell. âThe Insect and the Astronomerâ upends expectations about good and bad, knowledge and ignorance, love and longing. The World Fantasy Awardâwinning novella âThe Unlicensed Magicianâ introduces the secret magical life of an invisible girl once left for deadâwith thematic echoes of Barnhillâs Newbery Medalâwinning novel, The Girl Who Drank the Moon.
With bold, reality-bending invention underscored by richly illuminated universal themes of love, death, jealousy, and hope, the stories in Dreadful Young Ladies show why its author has been hailed as âa fantasist on the order of Neil Gaimanâ (Minneapolis Star Tribune). This collection cements Barnhillâs place as one of the wittiest, most vital and compelling voices in contemporary literature.