Cautionary Tales for Excitable Girls

by Anne Casey-Hardy

Excitable girls rush out to meet life; what could go wrong? A masterful debut about the terrifying thrills of innocence from a voice of experience.Teenagers sneak out to the creek for a wild New Year's Eve party. A sleep-deprived woman who imagines she is pregnant to a Viking faces her scathing sixteen-year-old self. A woman in love wakes up in a van Gogh painting.These gem-like stories are about the desire to rush out and meet life; about getting in over your head; about danger, and damage, and what it means to survive – and not always survive – the risk of being young. They chart the borderlands between girls and women, daughters and mothers, freedom and fear.Emerging fully-formed and singing songs of both innocence and experience, Anne Casey-Hardy is the rarest of new at the same time reckless and entirely in control; funny and frightening; wise and full-blooded.

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy

Paperback

About the author

Anne Casey-Hardy was born in Fremantle and grew up in Melbourne as the eldest of seven children. She won the 2018 Peter Carey Short Story Award, was shortlisted for the 2019 VU/Overland Short Story Prize and was awarded a 2021 Varuna Residential Fellowship. Her short stories and poetry have been published in Meanjin Quarterly, Island Magazine, Overland Journal, Westerly Magazine and several anthologies.

Anne has previously worked as a research librarian and advocate for families of premature babies, and her work in this area has been published in The Lancet, Journal of Neonatology and Journal of Paediatric and Child Health.

She lives with her husband in Melbourne's west, on Bunurong land.

Reviews

[John Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of short stories by this Australian author, her first collection. Varied, some riveting and had me on the edge of my seat, but the writing always exquisite. I really enjoyed this one, and why not with that amazing title. Good one, four solid stars for sometimes uneven stories.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reading a novel but it seems short stories aren’t done with me. A couple early stories in this collection ended and it felt like the curtain had come prematurely down five minutes before the play actually finished. This was deliberate of course and meant I had to immediately read the next story even though it shouldn’t have brought closure to the former (but actually did in one instance). A nice technique. Writers love to talk about following the heat and gosh I felt that in these stories. Casey-Hardy locates the source of that narrative heat and energy in each story and then presses your hand to the fire. Burn it down I say. I’m emerging from this collection a little dazed and dazzled but deeply satisfied.

[Ashley Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of eighteen brilliant stories about inquisitive, rambunctious and indomitable girls and women. Oftentimes the protagonists will find themselves in perilous situations, but I’d argue that what Anne Casey-Hardy has done is put into action the secret, innermost thoughts that most would be unwilling to acknowledge, let alone act upon, and while that may be somewhat unnerving, it is surely an outstanding achievement.

[keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

she name dropped the thousand steps in ferntree gully and my brain short-circuited. idk how people in new york cope with this on a daily basis.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really wonderful collection of short stories. Each was short and complete, and I just wanted more and more of them. Various topics and themes, but many centred on motherhood and girlhood.

[Suzie B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories, some of which are set in Melbourne, and most of which could have a universal setting. I enjoyed many of the stories, but personally find it hard to get enough of a grasp of each story to truly appreciate the short story format.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book is both dark and fun - a compilation of short stories, some of which ended too soon and others that piece together nicely.

[Melinda Charlesworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is clever, brutally honest, perfectly told. I loved each one of them. These tales caught me completely off-guard, so much so that I frequently had to put the book down at the end of a story to let it sink in and then pull myself together. Australian short story telling, my favourite. Bravo 🙌

[Wayne Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible short story collection, one of the best I've ever read. With every story Anne's talent roars onto the page. Favs (if forced to pick!) would be 'My Beautiful Dollhouse', 'The Merri Creek', 'Being the Mother' and 'New Year's Eve'.

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book Cautionary Tales for Excitable Girls (Scribner 2022) is exactly what is says: warning stories for adventurous females. In one sense it’s an old-fashioned expression but do not let that fool you! This collection of short stories by debut author Anne Casey-Hardy is bright and sparkling like a jewelled crown, but step too close and those gemstones are sharp and cutting.
When a new release has complimentary quotes from the likes of Charlotte Wood, Tony Birch, Laura Elvery, Wayne Marshall, Melissa Manning, Jane Rawson and Tegan Bennett Daylight gracing its cover, you know you’re in for something very special. These 18 stories are taut, contemporary, quick-witted and confronting, with a darkly black humour bubbling below the surface. Stories about girls in trouble, girls escaping trouble, girls causing trouble.
In Being the Mother, two teenage girls ‘borrow’ a baby for a day. There are two connected stories about a fateful New Year’s Eve party and what happened afterwards. There are ghost stories and fantasy tales and stories that deliberately refuse to be labelled – part dream, part rude reality, part sinister nightmare. Girls standing up for themselves. Girls being taken advantage of, and taking their revenge in the most unusual ways. The loyalty, jealousy, intimacy and courage of female friendships. Young women dealing with new jobs, unwanted male attention, the patriarchy, misogyny, prejudice, abusive families and unreliable friends. Characters inspired by myths and legends. Childhood friendships rekindled. Girls being industrious and ambitious and inventive. Girls you would not want to cross. Curious girls. Excitable girls. Girls that are as ethereal as mist, or as solid and immutable as the earth. Dangerous girls, and girls who are frightened. Girls who are relieved, determined, angry, mysterious, strong and powerful.
I heard Casey-Hardy read her short story In Disguise, Lying Low at an event recently and was blown away by the quality of the writing, the authenticity of the dialogue, the caustic humour, the poignancy, and by her reading itself, which only accentuated the meaning of the words. These are stories full of life and wonder, angst and fury, confusion and hope and risky escapades. With titles such as Literally Beside Myself, Starving in the Land of Plenty, When Bees Become Diamonds and Don’t Blink, this collection is a truly magnificent curation of finely crafted stories, each as real and eye-opening and thought-provoking as the next. The kind of stories that you want to read and reread; each containing layers of meaning and symbolism. And all so sharp and witty, so engaging and clever. Casey-Hardy is deep in the mind of an adolescent girl, a young woman … and she shows us how to see through their eyes. Whether the story is sad, satisfying, funny, bleak, disturbing, frightening or triumphant, each is remarkable and makes a statement about embracing life, facing danger, falling in love, surviving (or not), about unbreakable bonds and unfettered freedom. This author’s voice is utterly wise and yet also somehow innocent and vulnerable; she weaves the two states together to produce stories that will amaze and delight you. A fantastic collection.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of short stories is a tour de force. Its a very powerful testament to the lives of women and girls in Australia. It engages all the senses of the reader; funny at times, heartbreaking at others and shocking too.
It's best to read the short stories in the order they are in the book to get the full impact of its thematic and narrative heft. It explores the lives of women in an hitherto unexplored and refreshing way - I refer to one short story 'Literally beside myself' in particular for this. Though all the stories are brilliant at this. I would also contrast the two stories 'Being the Mother' and 'Cape Conran' for their thought provoking power and compelling differences on a similar theme.
Casey- Hardy's is masterful at creating characters that provoke visceral reactions in the reader.

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories, some of which are set in Melbourne, and most of which could have a universal setting. I enjoyed many of the stories, but personally find it hard to get enough of a grasp of each story to truly appreciate the short story format.

Read by Suzie

[Victoria K · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I have to love such a decorated Aussie author.

Some of these short stories left a lasting impression. Others did not.

I’ve owned this book for about 2 years and am glad I finally made time to read it during my daily commute.

[JK Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cracker of a read, exciting, funny and buzzing with energy. A superb collection of unique short stories.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Tara Seymour · Rating 5 out of 5]

a lovely collection of short stories, a very pleasant and moving read.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories about girls and women were so relatable and evocative. I loved them all!

[dionne · Rating 2 out of 5]

some stories were so confusing they more more like white noise than an actual story. maybe i’m a hater, or maybe i’m not smart enough to understand this

[Emily Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kind of stories that stay with you. Disturbing, insightful, brilliant.

[Jen]

🎧 DNF after 3 short stories/25%.

[Jaimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Like an Aussie Murakami-style short stories. Love that it was women centric!

[Ruby Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised me how much I loved these stories!!!! Some real gold

Funny, fucked, wholesome