A Phoenix First Must Burn

A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope

Patrice Caldwell (editor)

Viking, 2020

Grades 8-Up

Fantasy/Short Stories

As the title indicates, Caldwell presents sixteen stories by African-American female authors featuring black women (or non-gender conforming individuals) gaining  strength through magic or science fiction. Many of the featured characters are in some way repressed and find power or revenge through magical or scientific means. The tales are diverse, from re-worked tales of folklore to mythical creatures and to future worlds. A brief biography of the contributing authors, who are both famous and unknown (to me), are included at the back of the volume, leading readers to other works by the authors of their favorite stories. An introduction by the editor will lure readers in, as she describes the power of storytelling and its influence on her own life.

I love short story collections, yet rarely read them. I appreciate the brief time commitment and instant gratification of a short story, especially one with a twist ending. This collection was fun to read and of the highest quality. The stories were all completely different, yet each one was an exquisite little gem. I honestly liked all of the stories, yet my favorite one was Hearts Turned to Ash by Dhonielle Clayton, which boasts a Cajun Voodoo vibe. More fantasy than science fiction, there is a little of everything not of the tangible world, sure to connect with readers on some level. The stories are all appropriate, more or less, for a younger teen audience, yet some are more sophisticated than others. I started the collection on a summer camping trip. It lived in my car through the autumn, where it accompanied me on many catch-up doctor's appointments. I finally finished the volume last week, in-between cleaning my house and preparing for Thanksgiving. A different short story collection than what was formally available for young people, diverse readers will appreciate being seen within its pages and take a much-needed break from the patriarchal main-stream. An entertaining, unique and high-quality gem of a collection.