Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Feisty Deeds II: Historical Tales of Batches and Brews is an anthology of original fiction about women who turn to food and the alchemical art across the continents and centuries. Escape to the Peaceful Valley by Christy Matheson follows Ailbe, a senior attendant in third-century Kildare, after Saba vanishes from Fionn mac Cumhaill’s castle. Using household medicine and Saba’s hidden route, Ailbe acts before the forced wedding rites can begin. The Manx Charmer by Margaret Porter follows Calybrid Teare, a nineteen-year-old healer in 1777 Isle of Man, as she prepares protective medicine for fisherman Will Callow while Finlo Standish’s scorn unsettles the boat supper before herring season. A Bit of Mountain Magic by Teri M. Brown follows Josie in 1932 Appalachia, where a pregnant woman places her hopes in Josie’s herbal remedies during a dangerous birth. Trouble Brewing by Gabi Coatsworth follows an abused, pregnant Lily in 1935 Wales, who draws on her mother’s plant knowledge in an effort to protect herself and her child.

Feisty Deeds II: Historical Tales of Batches and Brews is a really brilliant collection of over two dozen original short stories by multiple authors, all of whom have an abundance of imagination. Every single story is written with sharp intelligence and polish that is a testament to their individual and collective skill. While it is almost impossible to pick a favorite, two really stood out. I love Rice Balls by Apple An, about sisters Lianlian and Shanshan in 1973 Beijing, where rationing before the Lantern Festival is the most pressing obstacle of the day. With their father in the hospital and their mother at his side, Lianlian tries not to disappoint Shanshan when a rice ball ticket from home fails. I also adore Detritus Cake by April Quarto Wright, where sixteen-year-old Stella lives in a Manila internment camp in 1945. Separated from her mother, Stella spends her birthday in the cook hut, where a search for flour among hungry prisoners turns camp scraps into an attempt at a birthday cake. Both of these stories are on an elevated level, and the beauty of youthful ingenuity in such horrific circumstances, with children, is wonderful. Mature teens and adults who value excellent women’s historical fiction will find this anthology worth reading.