All good stories, some outstanding; I have mixed luck with short stories, but all of these kept my attention. Sherman has an assured command of a range of voices and styles, from bayou Louisiana to Shakespearean England. I especially liked the chilling "The Red Piano", the fabulously steampunk + ghosts "The Ghost of Cwmloch Manor", the Trollopean "The Parwat Ruby" (with cameos from Trollope's novels and everything), and "Walpurgis Afternoon", with its unusual take on witchcraft (which I felt cou...

There are several really great stories in this collection; my favorite was Walpurgis Afternoon. I'd love to read this story expanded to a novella or novel or other stories set in the same world.

This is an extraordinary collection -- rich, witty, whimsical and alluring. The stories are strong -- they whisk a reader immediately away into strange shores and dialects, into song and time.For the dancing story, for the printing story, for Frisket's dear and bawdy speech, thank you. It's a rich magic, and I am grateful.

DNF at page 142. These stories never grabbed my attention. Something about the writing style made them dry and boring. I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Though there are some interesting supernatural creatures and plots in here, I just didn't care, even about mermen.

Finally, thanks to Small Beer Press, a collection of the shorter fiction of Delia Sherman. Quiet, weird, funny, dark stories of the fantastic, stories that never land quite in one category or another. For those who prefer their fantasy to bend conformity rather than play nice in the pigeonholes.

4.5 stars, really. A great solid collection. I've liked what I've read of Delia Sherman's in the past and this definitely exceeded my expectations.My favourites are probably The Ghost of Cwnlech Manor, Walpurgis Afternoon, and the Printer's Daughter; least favourite but still good were the Land's End and the Maid on the Shore. The stories are written in a variety of different voices and eras and even the old English in The Fairy Cony Catcher was enjoyable to read and not too dense.What struck me...

I hesitated between 3 and 4 stars because I do think this is a very solid collection, but in the end there were too many historical ones for my taste. I admire Sherman's skill to write in different historical tones but it's less to my taste (I prefer my historical fiction--when I read it, which is not often--to be a bit more contemporary in its language, accuracy be damned). Some stories, like La Fée Verte, dragged a little too. But so many wonderful ideas as well.My favourites were:Young Woman

Great collection of short stories set in a range of time period with mostly female protagonists. All are beautiful and eerie in a Susanna Clarke kind of way.

Stuff I Read - Young Woman in a Garden: Stories by Delia Sherman ReviewSingle story short story collections are normally fairly dangerous waters. Most of the time, one reads them because of other work (novels, etc) and decides to check out their short things. Meaning, if you know that you like a writer, probably you will still like a writer. Similarly, with multiple author short short collections, if you don't like one writer, chances are you will still like others. But, like me, what happens if...

What most impressed me about Delia Sherman’s collection was how it was so varied yet every story felt as though they belonged together. This collection features everything from urban fantasy to horror. In each story, from the title story “Young Woman in a Garden” all the way through to “The Maid on the Shore,” magic is taken for granted by the majority of the characters. Curses and creatures and ghosts are accepted casually by the reader as well, because of how noticeably Sherman is writing in o...

This collection was a mixed bag for me. A few stories I really enjoyed and a few I found uninspired. The library has this marked as sci-fi, but it's a variety of genres, including steam-punk, magical realism and fantasy. The construction and voice of each story was solid and well-done, however the content overall seemed a bit shallow and left me flat. But the stories in general were well-written enough to edge this to 3 stars.I am curious to see if I'd maybe enjoy a longer piece by this author a...

A stunning collection of short stories. Lyrical, inventive, and full of treats for the folklore or 19th century literature fan. I am particularly partial to the title story, and the selkie story. I can't wait to teach this book someday, hopefully soon!

lots of good stories, many styles, very few duds.worth the time.

Overall, this was a solid collection with some really outstanding stories. The author writes in a wide range of styles, mostly with fantasy overtones. I loved the diversity of her characters and the fluidity of her gender roles!The “best of the bunch” were:The Red PianoWalpurgis AfternoonLand’s EndThe Maid on the Shore

A tour-de-force of voices and periods that shows both Sherman's versatility and growth over a multi-decade writing career. The plots are sometimes vague in a way that would irk me in a novel, but at short story length I'm willing to be carried along purely on the strength of character and setting. Standouts for me were the creepy imagery of "The Red Piano," the whimsy of "The Printer's Daughter," the rhythms of "The Fiddler of Bayou Teche," and the dry science of "Miss Carstairs and the Merman."...

Like many short story collections, the ones here vary in quality, but many of them are very good -- charming, chilling, or fascinating. Delia Sherman has a particularly good ear for dialect and voice which gives all of her stories a rich sense of character, time, and place, whether they are set in the present, past, or a time that never was.

I probably liked this collection way more than I should have (since I am a fan of bittersweet endings) - there was something slyly subversive about the way Sherman writes happy endings. :D

3.5 out of 5. Short story collection of fantasy-based, each set set in different times and places, with dialogue attuned to its location and era. Clever, highly original, with all kinds of magic and strange creatures: a ghost, werewolf, an alchemist, a half human/half selkie, a merman. Some stories had twists at the end.My favorites:"The ghost of Cwmlech Manor": ghost haunting this place knows of a hidden treasure."The red piano": a creepy story of two twin red pianos and their owners."The fiddl...

This is a collection of short stories, all written by Delia Sherman. I've never read her works and thought short stories are a way to try out a new author. I loved the story the Red Piano. Most all the stories have a touch of magic or myth involved. There are 14 stories in the collection, Some I didn't care for (too wordy or dull) but most were interesting with characters that were believable. Stories were a nice length for an evening's read.

Read this for the Sacred Harp Story; was disappointed by that. Found it more disappointing, though, that the author finds it a punishment to turn a man into a woman.