Burning Roses

All of us carry our lifetime of mistakes and regrets and secrets, although probably not as many or as heavy as Rosa and Hou Yi. This is a dark and lovely reimagining of a handful of stories. Maybe a little too ambitious—some of the character dynamics seemed implausible—but hey, these are fairy tales, plus, it’s better to take risks than to underachieve. Huang pushes herself. She unfolds the protagonists’ traumas slowly, carefully, giving the reader the chance to reflect, relate, and empathize. “These things are complicated,” one character exclaims, reminding us to be careful when we judge. This is a thoughtful work that will forever color how I think of the classic fairy tales.