Books like The Armless Maiden: And Other Tales for Childhood's Survivors

I'm a big fan of Terri Windling, and make an effort to seek out her anthologies. Thus, I got this one. I'd heard rave reviews of it - people saying "This is the one that made a difference in my life!"I was a bit quizzical about that, because for me, that was 'Bordertown.' And for me, it remains Bordertown, although I can see why other people might need this book more. I was lucky enough to always be wanting to run 'to' - not having to run 'from.'This book is on the theme of child abuse. It's kind of a rough read - not that any one of the stories is so particularly awful, but when read all in one go - that's a lot of child abuse. It's emotionally difficult. Terri Windling's personal, autobiographical essay about why she chose to do this anthology is powerful, touching, and almost shockingly revealing.As with any anthology, some of the stories are much better than others, but overall, it's a very good anthology.Contents: The armless maiden; The hero's journey /Midori Snyder Bedtime story /Lisel Mueller Allerleirauh /Jane Yolen Snow White to the prince /Delia Sherman She sleeps in a tower /Tanith Lee Briar rose (sleeping beauty) /Anne Sexton In the house of my enemy /Charles de Lint Fear of falling /Susan Palwick Princess in Puce /Annita Harlan The stepsister's story /Emma Bull The session /Steven Gould The mirror speaks /Jane Yolen The juniper tree /Peter Straub Dolls /Guy Summertree Veryzer This is us, excellent /Mark Richards Saturn /Sharon Olds The twelve-windowed tower /Silvana Siddali Now I lay me /Sharon Olds Now I lay me down to sleep /Ellen Kushner Reading the Brothers Grimm to Jenny /Lisel Mueller Knives; Scars /Munro Sickafoos The pangs of love /Jane Gardam Brother and sister /Terri Windling The face in the cloth /Jane Yolen Their father /Gwen Strauss The chrysanthemum robe /Kara Dalkey Watching the bobolinks /Caroline Stevermer The boy who needed heroes /Kristine Kathryn Rusch Wolves /Sonia Keizs Wolf's heart; The story I hadn't planned to write /Tappan King Gretel in darkness /Louise Gluck The lily and the weaver's heart /Nancy Etchemendy Silvershod /Ellen Steiber The lion and the lark /Patricia A. McKillip The iron shoes /Johnny Clewell The green children /Terri Windling Guardian neighbor /Lynda Barry The little dirty girl /Joanna Russ Donkeyskin /Terri Windling In the night country; A matter of seeing /Ellen Steiber Surviving childhood /Terri Windling Dream catcher /Will Shetterly. Those who liked this book may also want to read this more-recent, but thematically similar story by Genevieve Valentine: http://www.apex-magazine.com/armless-...