The Anchored World: Flash Fairy Tales and Folklore

by Jasmine Sawers

The long-anticipated full-length debut collection from award-winning flash fiction writer Jasmine Sawers.

A goat begins to grow inside a human heart. The rightful king is born a hard, smooth seashell. Supernovas burst across skin like ink in water. Heartbreak transforms maidens into witches, girls into goblins, mothers into monsters. Hunger drives lovers and daughters, soldiers and ghosts, to unhinge their jaws and swallow the world. Drawing inspiration from a mixed heritage and from history—from the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen to the ancient legends of Thailand, from the suburbs of Buffalo, New York to the endless horizon of the American Midwest—Jasmine Sawers invents a hybrid folklore for liminal characters who live between the lines and within the creases of race and language, culture and gender, sexuality and ability. The Anchored World: Flash Fairy Tales and Folklore is equal parts love letter to the old tales and indictment of their shortcomings, offering a new mythology to reflect the many faces and voices of the twenty-first century.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Folklore, Adult

88 pages, Paperback

Published October 11, 2022

Reviews

[Mackenzie Clevenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 - I really enjoyed the prospect of viewing the modern world through the lens of a fairytale, and I also enjoyed the differences between stories both thematically, style wise, and content wise. I thought the flash nature of the work was also a good choice since it mimics pre-established fairy tales and also provides a nice punch to the stories. There were also several pieces that had wonderful language and unique imagery.
I want to be clear—three stars is not a bad rating! This is a good collection and it’s well written, I just don’t think it spoke to me personally, but I definitely recommend!

[Melissa]

This is a delightful little collection of sharp, polished flash tales steeped in fairy and folk tales from Europe and Thailand. The writing style is lushly spare, in the style of old fashioned fairytales, and uniquely voiced through Sawers's poetic precision at the word level. Some favorites: "Once Upon a Time in an Orchard," "The Anchored World," "Colossus," "Dragon Petal and Lotus Flame Go Home," and "Bloodberries."

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite language and brilliant world-building fill Sawers's collection. Sawers takes fairy tales from a variety of sources and spins them, giving us a new take. Some, like "Once Upon a Time in an Orchard" are not only darkly humorous, they beg to be read out loud!

Some (see above) are funny; many interrogate conventional narrative, racism, classism and colonialism (like "All Your Fragile History"). Many resonate on a deeply personal level, and one way or another, they are all beautiful.

You can read these all in one sitting or dip into the book as you please; many pieces are less than one page long. Beautiful and disciplined work, this book is a great treat for yourself and a perfect gift for the reader on you gift list.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this thin, little book of reimagined fairy tales up from the “New” shelf at the library on a curious whim and am so glad I did! I devoured the stories within. Lyrical, haunting, beautiful, whimsical. There’s poeticism in the reimaginings. There’s heartbreak and triumph and magic. Retribution and realization.

I may have to buy myself a copy of my own. And gift this book to others.

Absolutely a favorite.

[Peter Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

"After you left, a goat took up residence in the left ventricle of my heart."

[Kelly Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Anchored World, by Jasmine Sawers, is a slim volume of flash fiction and folklore that packs a powerful punch. Combining her foundational knowledge of Western fairy tales with an exploration of Thai fairy tales and folklore, Sawers crafts a stunning tableau of stories that shocks and delights.
Although Sawers works with recognizable tales like “Cinderella”, “Rapunzel”, and “Hansel and Gretel”, she twists them in remarkable ways. Her “Thumbelina” story explores the fine line between love and devouring, while her “Rumpelstiltskin” tale meditates on the title character after he has been stitched back together. “Once Upon a Time in an Orchard” features poisoned apples described with such luscious simplicity that readers will finally understand why Snow White takes a bite, and “A Girl / A Witch / A Crone” plays with fairy tale formulas to contemplate the terms and circumstances that define women.

Sawers’ stories drip with shocking sizes and colors; mothers give birth to golden conch shells, a husband is found inside a can of Spam, polar bears nest inside freezers, a goat takes up residence in the left ventricle of the heart, and grief and joy are written upon the body like strokes of watercolor. Sawer blurs the line between animal and human in stories like “My Mother the Horse” and confronts the painful ideas of culture clash, infertility, suicide, and broken family relationships. Several stories tease out the difficulties of motherhood and one is even dedicated to the “murdered Asian American women who didn’t make the headlines”.

In addition to moments that make the reader gasp, the collection is full of beauty. My favorite tale, “Where the Moon Meets the Sea” touchingly relays the love story between the moon and the ocean. The Anchored World steers readers through the light and dark aspects of culture, folklore, fairy tale, and life, and the collection will leave a permanent mark upon readers’ memories.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous collection of tiny stories, dancing from hard realism to magical fantasy and all points in between. A queen gives birth to a golden conch shell. A little girl fears that her mother is actually a yak (a type of Thai giant/demon). A narrator ponders the results of their dog’s DNA test and their own human genetic background. There are riffs on fairy tales from both the West and East, stories inspired by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, as well as stories drawing from Thai folklore (e.g. the aforementioned golden conch story.). There are tales that are delicate (such as the story, “Delicate,” in which the prince reflects on the princess who could feel a pea through 20 mattresses), and stories that are sensuously, earthily erotic, as in Sawyer’s retelling of Rapunzel in “A Woman’s Glory.” A kaleidoscope of wonders: aching, poignant, strange, and sharp, sharp, sharp.

[Caitlin]

The Anchored World is, in the way of fairytales and folklore, beautiful and horrible and haunting. Sawers’ words are lovely and meticulous and eerie, a reminder of all the layers of the everyday. Theirs is a delicate, deft touch, and The Anchored World will haunt me, in all the best ways, for many years to come.

My full review is available at Third Coast Review: The Anchored World is, in the way of fairytales and folklore, beautiful and horrible and haunting. Sawers’ words are lovely and meticulous and eerie, a reminder of all the layers of the everyday. Theirs is a delicate, deft touch, and The Anchored World will haunt me, in all the best ways, for many years to come.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast-paced and enthralling. Jasmine Sawers weaves flash fiction (stories from as short a paragraph to as long as a few pages) from the cultural heritage of fairy tales, both Western and Thai. The stories often hinge on where beauty meets danger, on a sense of longing or familial strife, or on the fluidity between the human and natural realms (and the resulting grotesquerie or body horror). Some read like condensed versions of a fairy tale, some read like a moment cut off from the side of the main tale (a moment of calculation or reflection), and others follow innovative formats like lists (e.g., "An incomplete List of My Rodent Qualities, as Compiled by by Ex-Boyfriend When He Still Loved Me," "Sasquatch and Gnome May Fall in Love, but Where Would They Live?"). Her lyrical writing is rich in its visuals and clever in its conceits, and they linger with you after each like droplets or rays of light.

[Darcy Jay Gagnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection of snackable hybrid flash. It reminds me a bit of Charles Simic's prose poems in The World Doesn't End, in terms of being surreal, sometimes funny, but almost always landing the cadence. Even the fairy tales that aren't based on other ones feel like they could be, and there is a playful tongue-and-cheekness that marries well with the very personal pathos of a lot of these pieces. Similarly none of these feels terribly gimmicky. I also feel like this is consistent with Rosemetal Press's eye for hybrid, and I can see this collection appealing to lovers of fiction, poetry, and essay universally.

[Anthony Ocean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

I loved this book so much. It was very hard to put down, and I felt sad when I came to the end of it. Every few years, I read something that makes me stop in my tracks, and this was one such book. It felt almost sacred, what I experienced as I read these stories. I can’t wait to read more of Jasmine Sawers’ work!

[Amy Mccourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The emotionally driven and fast paced nature of flash fiction are expertly used to create a collection of deeply engaging stories for the reader, that will stay in their hearts and minds for years to come. The Anchored World is deserving of the utmost praise and will hold a place of honor at the top of my book shelf.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Tiny Little Goat" has just made my list of favorite short stories. Such beautiful and humorous story-telling; it's poetry, really.

"I thought I was finally becoming the curmudgeonly old man I had dreamt of being since I was a little girl. Freedom, I thought, is no pants and a tin can to chew on... On a good day, I am a person."

[Allison Renner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for the Shorter is Better book club. It was great to read retellings and different interpretations of fairy tales and fables, then hear from the author about their inspiration for these pieces. One thing I noticed is that the final line of every story packs a punch and lives on in my mind. I especially loved the list stories, but all of them are worth reading and re-reading.

[Sean]

I tend to find flash fiction more miss than hit for some reason, but I’m interested in reworked fairy tales, so I gave this a try. I didn’t find most of the stories memorable, but I liked the domestic curses one.

[Chanel Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book online and knew I had to read it. I love flash fiction, folklore, and fairy tales. This book is/has all three.

I didn't love each of the 33 (I think) stories in this equally, but some of them were perfect. I think I've found a kindred spirit in Jasmine Sawers!

[Tauri Hagemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with the way Sawers puts spins on international fables and fairy tales. The index at the back telling what fables inspired these flash and what countries they’re from is also so cool to be able to reference.

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Sawers' work. Their flash is sharp and beautiful. It's easy to lose yourself in the small worlds of their fairytale retellings and inquisitive stories as they explore identity and culture while pushing back against society's expectations both in past and present.

[Merrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short stories of differently told fairy tales. I struggled getting into the writing style which is more artistic and less narrative. I did like a few of the stories but overall it felt like a chore to finish this book, just wasn’t for me.

[Geof Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethereal, in the way that so many modern takes on fairy tales are.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all make sure to read the Author's Note, it's the best. Other than that: Wonderful, horrifying, able, terrifying, talented, heavy, eerie, funny, unintelligible, clever, knowledgeable.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always a mix -- but most didn't really work for me.

[Rachel Laverdiere · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection does not disappoint! Sawers has me hooked on fairytales for the first time since I was a kid.

[Jan Stinchcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of entirely original stories to add to your fairy-tale shelf.

[Jennifer Pullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent short collection for those who like fairy tales, flash fiction, and prose poetry.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flash fiction can be difficult to assess. It is not a writing form conducive to the type of response given to longer, more structured forms. To anticipate any style or structure, to even demand such, defeats the organic nature of flash fiction. Sawers’ collection includes short pieces that make the mind dance, as well as pieces that put the mind to sleep, but overall explores its theme with skill. Each story pulls you into the next, as fine flash should, without ever burdening the reader. An enjoyable collection for lovers of retellings and modern fairy tales.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Anchored World is such a special book. The stories feel so complete despite only being one or two pages long (sometimes only half a page!) Inspired by fairytales, both American and Thai, these tales vary from the deeply weird to the tender and beautiful. There’s an index in the back that shows you each story’s inspiration and its country of origin, which was a nice touch. I have too many favorites to list but I really encourage you to find a copy of this