A Thousand Beginnings and Endings
- Subject
- Fairy Tales & Folklore - Anthologies
- Age
- Teen
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 336
- Publisher
- Greenwillow Books
- Size
- 15.2 cm × 20.8 cm
- ISBN
- 9780062671158
Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries.
Sixteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.
Compiled by We Need Diverse Books’s Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman—who both contributed stories to this edition, as well—the authors included in this exquisite collection are: Renée Ahdieh, Sona Charaipotra, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Aliette de Bodard, Melissa de la Cruz, Julie Kagawa, Rahul Kanakia, Lori M. Lee, E. C. Myers, Cindy Pon, Aisha Saeed, Shveta Thakrar, and Alyssa Wong.
A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place.
From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish. For fans of Neil Gaiman’s Unnatural Creatures and Ameriie’s New York Times–bestselling Because You Love to Hate Me.
What happens when sixteen of today’s best-loved authors lend their voices to the myths and legends of East and South Asia?
About the creators
Ellen OhAuthor
Ellen Oh is the cofounder of We Need Diverse Books and author of the award-winning Spirit Hunters series for middle grade readers and the Prophecy trilogy (Prophecy, Warrior, and King) for young adults. Originally from New York City, Ellen is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian history. Ellen lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband and three children and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel. You can visit her online at ellenoh.com.
Sona CharaipotraAuthor
Sona Charaipotra is the author of Symptoms of a Heartbreak and How Maya Got Fierce and coauthor of The Rumor Game and Tiny Pretty Things, now a Netflix original series. She earned a master’s degree in screenwriting from NYU and an MFA in creative writing from the New School. A working journalist, Sona has held editorial roles at People, TeenPeople, ABCNews.com, MSN, several parenting publications, the Barnes & Noble Teen Blog (RIP), and, most recently, as senior editor of trends and features at Parents.com. She has contributed to publications from the New York Times to TeenVogue. She is a former We Need Diverse Books board member, and she cofounded CAKE Literary, a boutique book packager focused on high-concept diverse titles. Find her on the web talking about books, Bollywood movies, and chai.
Preeti ChhibberAuthor
Preeti Chhibber is an acclaimed author living in Atlanta, Georgia. She has written for SYFY, Book Riot, Polygon, and Elle, among others. Across prose, comics, and podcasts, she’s written for characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Riddler, and so many more. Her debut YA rom-com, Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot, came out in 2024. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading a ridiculous amount of YA, jumping into a brand-new fandom, or food-traveling her way through different countries. She’s also the cohost of the Desi Geek Girls and Women of Marvel podcasts, where she geeks out on the regular. You can learn more about Preeti and her work at preetichhibber.com.
Roshani ChokshiAuthor
Roshani Chokshi is the award-winning author of the New York Times bestselling series the Star-Touched Queen and the Gilded Wolves as well as Aru Shah and the End of Time, which Time named one of the Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time. Chokshi’s adult debut, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and often draw upon world mythology and folklore. Chokshi is a member of the National Leadership Board for the Michael C. Carlos Museum and lives in Georgia with her family.
Data provided by BiblioShare.
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What reviewers said
“All of these stories achieve emotional depth and connection while showcasing each storyteller’s unique literary voice.”
“Authors Oh and Chapman have created this much-needed anthology of Asian myths and folktales. ...It’s a wonderful concept, and the styles and subjects are as diverse as the countries and cultures represented. ...these stories are for everyone.”
“This collection fills a gap in modern retellings of fairy tales and myths by presenting non-European myths. ...Give to fans of Marissa Meyer’s “Lunar Chronicles” or Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. An excellent first purchase for all libraries.”
“A collection of Asian myths and legends in which beloved stories of spirits, magic, family, love, and heartbreak are combined with elements from modern teens’ lives….With such a variety of emotion and experiences to explore, nearly any teen can find something to relate to...An incredible anthology that will keep readers on the edges of their seats, wanting more.”
“Fifteen acclaimed Asian and Asian-American authors breathe fresh life into 15 popular Asian folktales and myths, elevating this anthology to a higher level...Oh and Chapman have created a work that celebrates Asian storytelling. It should fill...the reader with wonder.”
“Oh and Chapman bring together fifteen authors with Asian roots to reinterpret stories from throughout Asia, creating a collection that...explores the traditional folktale motifs of fate, vengeance, goodness, and love. ...an inventiveness on par with Bardugo’s folktale revisions in The Language of Thorns.”
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