Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron
Johnathan Strahan, Editor
Random House, 2012
Young Adult
413 Pages
An anthology of short stories by some of the most talented crafters of fantastic tales, this book showcases some truly thought-provoking stories as well as a few pieces that are not so representative of their skill. All the stories deal with witches or witchcraft in some form or another, and each is as unique as their authors. I wanted to star what I felt were the best stories, but realized that each one has its own charm. A choice October read!
Stray Magic – Diana Peterfreund
A heartwarming story about a woman in a shelter who discovers she can talk to one of the strays brought in. The dog is a familiar, and his glamour is fading increasingly the longer he is apart from his master, a master the warden worries may have abandoned him. The quick, almost deus-ex-machina resolution is forgivable in light of the happy ending.
Payment Due – Frances Hardinge
A tiny tale of revenge and shape-changing. I often find the fairy tale form to be difficult, especially when bad things happen to the protagonist at the beginning of a story, though it may end in a cathartic and fulfilling comeuppance. A fun kind of magic twists round a heartless collections agent and his cat. I always warm up to a story involving antique photographs and jackdaw familiars.
A Handful of Ashes – Garth Nix
An absorbing adventure reminiscent of The Worst Witch (or even Winx Club!) Ancient magics are invoked at an ancient college for witchcraft, and they may bring about more harm than the young students bargained for. I sat up into the night rapt in one of the best stories in the book.
Little Gods – Holly Black
Though I began to grow bored with the beginning of the story, (as I have actually lived it, almost to the letter, many times over,) this is a deep look into the hearts of those who practice Wicca. It is a charming story, with a happy, subtle ending. Holly Black is a richly descriptive author. (I only wish, just once, she could write about something other than fairies.)
Barrio Girls – Charles DeLint
One of the stronger pieces in the anthology, De Lint delivers what I was hoping for in this story about two goth chicks who run into some real trouble and turn to a local shaman for help. In this one, the witch is evil and the shaman is just a regular Joe. The twist is that the girls belong to The Family.
The Threefold World – Ellen Kushner
A young scholar gets stabbed in the leg with scissors and learns the Finnish secret of Steel. Not sure that this story really fits in with the theme of the anthology, but I love how it explores how words and stories are the true spells that can change reality.
The Education of a Witch – Ellen Klages
Lizzy has a new baby sister. When Lizzy is offered to choose a toy for herself before the baby shower, she picks out a puppet of Disney’s Maleficent. Soon Lizzie decides she wants to be a witch when she grows up, just like her new friend and confidant. She probably won’t have to wait that long.
Witch Work – Neil Gaiman
Here are reflections on life and love. This short poem is to me the most powerful piece in the book. To produce meaningful writing in simple verse is so difficult, yet Gaiman makes it look as easy as Fred Astaire.
Felidis – Tanith Lee
A man becomes infatuated with a cat-headed healer. The Bast-like witch is herself a hermit surrounded by cats, including her favorite, Jehankin. The man stays with her for over a year, learning that she has a true magical gift. When it is finally time to go, he decides to spy on her, and learns a special secret.
Witch in the Wood – Delia Sherman
A woman living on the borderlands alone falls in love with a shape-shifter. In order to protect him from the magical creatures who are hunting him, she must journey into a forbidden forest where she learns about herself and her strengths. A story about place magic.
Which Witch – Patricia A. McKillip
A band made up of young witches accidentally summon up “a monster Crow-God thingie” and rely on their familiars to get away from Trouble. It is a great exploration of the communication between familiars and their bonds and equally a great story about crows and their magical society.
And we were not just any tree full of gabbling city crows. We were a gathering from all over the land, most of us experienced, some of us with powers, and a few of us scandalously older than we had any right to be.
Carved Forest – Tim Pratt
A boy goes to bring his sister back when she runs away, but discovers she has chosen to become a witch’s apprentice. Wood totems of each of the townspeople stand in the backyard. Will the witch cut the memory of his sister from their minds? Ultimately a story about coping with the pain of loss, I found the ending difficult. It came too easy, and an ancient, powerful witch doesn’t deserve a TV sit-com resolution. Nonetheless, one of the stronger pieces in the anthology.
Burning Castles – M. Rickert
A short entry about a girl who’s mom plays up being a witch. (I envisioned a Stevie Nicks type.) Turns out her daughter is the one with true sight. I felt instant frustration for the daughter’s plight, but then the story abruptly ends.
Stone Witch – Isobelle Carmody
A woman who “can’t stand kids” finds herself seated next to one on a plane that is about to crash. She is offered a chance to cross the threshold and become a witch, but she’ll need the power of a familiar to draw on. A warm fantasy romp about the need to understand one’s self before loving another.
Andersen’s Witch – Jane Yolen
A tribute to Hans Christian Andersen that could stand equally well with nameless characters. A twist on the Western notion of “witch,” this tale is about the Ice Princess, who offers a boy three wishes. Then, like Faust, the boy must find a way to avoid the painful price she exacts. Kinda wishy-washy ending, but then, I wanted the Ice Princess to win.
B is for Bigfoot – Jim Butcher
Bigfoot has a son who is only half Sasquatch with the appearance of a regular, if tall, human boy. Unfortunately, there are some other bully ‘scions’ in his high school that are “sharpening their teeth” on him. Can a wizard PI give him the motivation to stand up for himself? A bizarre story, but the ride is enjoyable on every level.
Occasionally desperate clients demand that I prove my powers by telling them what their problem is before they even shake my hand– in which case, the problem is that they’re idiots.
Great-Grandmother in the Cellar – Peter S. Beagle
A boy’s sister is cursed by a witch-boy (anyone remember The Demon from DC comics?) who demands her hand in marriage. So what does he do? He wakes up his great-Grandmother, who is buried in the cellar and is a powerful witch (or maybe demon.) Grandmother has so much potential for further stories, I loved her character. More! The ending here is predictable, but still the best finale in the anthology!
Crow and Caper, Caper and Crow – Margo Lanagan
More poetry than story, this tale follows a Wise Woman on her journey to bless her newly born granddaughter. The surprise is waiting when she arrives. Her daughter-in-Law is not what she pretended, and the granddaughter is more than expected. Named after the nursery rhyme couplet inThe Baby’s Dance by Ann Taylor, (meaning to dance and shout in frivolity) this is a beautiful ending for the collection.
