Teaser Tuesday + Review ~ HerStory: Fiction Honoring Women's History Month

This week I'm sharing two teasers from a short story collection I recently enjoyed featuring tales of strong women through various historical eras in honor of Women's History Month, edited by my book blogging buddy and author Tara Chevrestt.

From "Riverboat Queen":

     "What can I do for you officers this evening?" A man's voice spoke with a northern accent.
     "We're looking for a woman," replied another.
     "Aren't we all? I have a nice selection of ladies looking to please men of discerning tastes," said the smooth-talking Yankee.
     "We're looking for a murderess and we think she stowed away on your vessel, Captain."

From "In the Company of Spirits":

     People do come into one another's lives for various reasons, often unknown. Sometimes it is love that draws two together. Sometimes it is simply that one idea needs the vessel of another. Does that mean we were merely necessities to one another, to that glorious ideal?
     Perhaps.

From the Back Cover:

In ancient times, women were regarded as sacred. They were thought to hold the mystical power of creation—responsible for the continuation of our species. With the rise of science and religion, these myths were dispelled and their plight began.

HerStory: Fiction Honoring Women’s History Month is a collection of flash fiction and short stories from today's top authors featuring female characters that exemplify strong strength of mind, body, and character. Some of these tales are based on real people while others are purely fictional. However, all are standing up for themselves and what they believe in.

Grab yourself a glass of wine or favorite hot beverage and get comfortable as you read about the lives of women who will light the fire in your soul.

My Thoughts:

This is a great collection of thirty stories featuring strong women, both real and imagined, from Ancient Rome all the way up to the present day, and taking place in America, England, Wales, Germany, Turkey, Japan, and Cambodia. They are diverse in storytelling and in style and voice too, and the characters range from mothers and housewives to nurses, activists, society gals, and even a terrorist, and range from sweet to melancholy to fierce and triumphant.

I can't touch on all of the stories here, but I do want to mention my favorites from the collection: A mother stoically sends her husband and older sons off to war in the fight for Welsh independence in the twelfth century in "The Legend Rises." A young woman illegally sold into indentured servitude makes a break for freedom and finds romance along the way in "Riverboat Queen." There's a pair of really good Civil War stories: In "An Uncivil War," a nurse takes matters into her own hands to prove her worth on the battlefield, and in "Pick a Side," a brave young miss in side-switching West Virginia becomes a message carrier for the cause. They are followed by the excellent "In the Company of Spirits," featuring a poignant and intimate view of a controversial first lady. There are also stories of women's rights and civil rights, including a sweet one from Tara inspired by a vintage postcard, "From You No." Tara also penned the powerful "No Mas," about Puerto Rican rebel Lolita Lebron.

I really enjoyed spending an evening with these stories. Of course, I enjoyed some better than others, but as a collection I think it's very strong--well written, evocative, and entertaining. It has enough variety to offer something for everyone, yet all of the stories remain very true to the theme of the collection. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and women's fiction.

My Rating:  4 Stars out of 5

**Please Note: Though I was given a digital copy of this book for review, these are my honest and unbiased opinions and I was not compensated in any other way for reviewing this book.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists!

Got a teaser?

Leave a comment with a link so I can visit!