The True Story of Hansel and Gretel

KIRKUS REVIEWA classic fairy tale is darkly reimagined in this brutally explicit Holocaust story by poet and second-novelist Murphy (The Sea Within, 1985).The eponymous protagonists are Polish Jews, the preadolescent daughter and seven-year-old son of a fugitive intellectual ironically nicknamed ?the Mechanic,? who survived by servicing German military vehicles. In the late stages of the war, the Mechanic and his second wife ?rename? his children and send them into a forest, hoping they can elude both Nazi pursuers and advancing Russian troops. The children are taken in by an aged ?witch,? Magda, and reluctantly sheltered by the embattled residents of a nearby Polish village. At first juxtaposing the ordeals of the children and their show more father, Murphy gradually expands her novel?s scope, focusing in turn on an unwed pregnant woman (Nelka) and the redoubtable villager (Telek) who loves her; Magda?s brother, a sin-burdened priest who redeems himself by a heroic sacrifice; and German Major Frankel, a suave monster who ?refreshes? himself with the transfused blood of Polish women and orchestrates the inspection of their children for the purposes of ?assimilation into the German people.? Murphy?s crisp prose renders the war?s terrors memorably, and she makes expert use of indigenous folklore and superstition�perhaps expressed most beautifully in ?Gretel?s? declaration to ?Hansel? that stars above them are ?all the Jews that died . . . and went up in the air, and the stars are the stars that they wore on their coats.? Comparisons to Jerzy Kosinski?s The Painted Bird are inevitable, but the relentlessly grim depiction of the children?s perilous odyssey, and especially the stalwart, mordant figure of Magda (whose eventual fate and transfiguration are stunningly described) link it even more closely with Davis Grubb?s Appalachian morality tale The Night of the Hunter. Only an unconvincing hopeful ending and elegiac coda dilute the power of Murphy?s unusually gripping fiction.Lyrical, haunting, unforgettable. show less

Louise Murphy guides her characters through a forest of war, horror and darkness as they leave a proverbial trail of identity breadcrumbs across a vast expanse of human suffering. The holocaust in Poland becomes the backdrop of the classic Grimm fairy tale very well. Murphy puts an incredibly devastating spin on things by placing a Jewish man and woman in a terrible situation where they must abandon their young son and daughter in the woods to save them from the German soldiers pursuing them. In an effort to keep their Jewish identity hidden they give them the, indisputably German, names, Hansel and Gretel. They are then taken in by an old woman living alone on the outskirts of a Nazi occupied village, who, in a heartwarming twist on show more the original, becomes their protector instead of captor.

This book was equal parts heart-warming and heart wrenching. Its portrayal of the holocaust and life under Nazi occupation was exceptional. The interwoven story of the holocaust with the classic Grimm fairy tale is almost seamless. The story itself only draws on the fairy tale for it’s major story markers (events) and characters. Those story markers are usually re-imagined to fit the narrative but generally reflect the event from the fairy tale. However, this story is so much more then a re-imagined fairy tale, it is historical fiction in its finest form. The depiction of the life in Eastern Europe under Nazi occupation was obviously well researched by the author. Murphy also seems to use this research to inform the characters she creates. The presence of people of many different nationalities in the story is a wonderfully honest and accurate depiction of the population displacement that took place as a result of the German army’s disastrous and genocidal offensive to the east. Another strength of this book is that it provides internal perspectives for multiple characters. The presence of multiple internal perspectives creates a more accurate portrayal of the reality of the war in the east because it shows the range of diverse perspectives on both sides. Understanding that anti-Semitism was not just a view held by Nazi’s, or that German soldiers were not all believers in, or even enforcers of, Nazi ideology, might help to push back against binary narratives of the conflict. Challenging assumptions and stereotypes related to the Second World War is essential for young readers and learners because the Second World War is a popular subject for a wide variety of teens and young people.

Ultimately, this is a good YA book because it is engaging yet challenging. It challenges binary narratives about the war because it creates a very strong sense of the complexity in regards to the different decisions and desires of the various characters. The presence of so many different, and rapidly alternating, perspectives is challenging because it forces the reader to switch gears very quickly and think about a certain situation differently. It is also worth mentioning that Murphy takes the reader into the mind of an SS Officer with some beliefs and habits that may be quite challenging for younger readers to understand. To a younger teen he might come across as completely insane and over the top. The challenge of this character is realizing that he represents a belief system that is very real and still alive today. While teens might not completely identify with young Hansel and Gretel, their lack of understanding about the situation they are in might create a strong sense of dramatic irony in the mind of the reader, which is also a major drawing factor of the book. Murphy adeptly uses the reader’s prior knowledge of the Hansel and Gretel tale to draw the reader in. This creates a sense of dread and anxiety throughout the story. The subject matter of “The True Story of Hansel and Gretel” is not easy, but the skillfully crafted characters and exceptional writing make it well worth the effort. show less

I absolutely loved this book. This is a retelling of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel with a Holocaust twist. A Jewish family fleeing the Nazis must make a real-life decision. They stop and drop their children off near a forest and tell them to run into the forest and hide. They are then to make their way through the forest, find a kind farmer who will take them in until they can be reunited again. From the very beginning you get the feeling that the step-mother doesn't like them. However, this book is darker than the original fairy-tale because of it's connection to the Holocaust. The children stumble upon a woman the village accuses of being a witch. The love she has for the children is obvious. There were surprises around each corner show more as you read. Full of tension this book takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride. Will the young active boy give them all away? Will the young girl be able to control him? Even that had a dark and unexpected twist to it. I found myself irritated everytime I was interrupted because I needed to find out how this would turn out. Most of Grimm's Fairy tales didn't have a Disney type happy ending. That is probably why I enjoyed them so much. This author had all the darkness you would expect when reading a story involving the Holocaust yet was just as much about hope. I highly recommend this book. Great for the older teens to adults due to very mature scenes. show less

Per the subtitle, this is a novel of “war and survival.”

During WW II, two Jewish children are left in the primordial forest of Poland by their father and stepmother, who are fleeing the Nazis. Their stepmother tells them to use the names “Hansel & Gretel” and to find a farmer who might take them in. Gretel is blond and green-eyed; she can easily “pass.” But her brother has curly dark hair, and brown eyes; and, of course, he’s circumcised.

Gretel is 11, her brother only 7, and it is early winter when they begin their wandering. The second day they come across a cottage in the woods. This is where Magda “the witch” lives, near a small village. She is descended from the Rom (Gypsies) and is knowledgeable about midwifery show more and herbal medicine. Her brother is the village priest, and also the grandfather of Nelka, a local beauty. Magda decides to keep the children and enlists the help of her brother to obtain forged baptismal certificates and papers.

Thus begins this mesmerizing story of the horrors of war-ravaged Poland during WW II. The scenes are also horrific, one more gruesome than the one previous. The novel moves back and forth between the children’s lives and that of their parents, who have joined a group of partisans (Poles, Russians, Jews) living in the woods and doing what they can to sabotage the Germans and improve the situation for the Poles. Everyone is starving. Everyone is cold. Everyone is scared – including the Germans, lest they lose control.

I read this book first in May 2007, and this is what I wrote in my journal:
Murphy manages to weave elements of the classic fairy tale into this tale of two Jewish children hiding from the Nazis in the forests of Poland. There are scenes that are simply horrific and gut-wrenching to read. But I could not put the book down. The ending is hopeful (I cannot say “happy” for that sounds too trite – and it isn’t.) An excellent book.

I am writing this report after re-reading it in Oct 2008 for the MSOE Dinner & a Book discussion and am surprised to find the book so horrifying. It was as if I remembered only the parallels to the fairy tale (and there are many), and the ending – and forgot all the horrors in between. I’m glad I re-read it. show less

This book re-imagines the story of Hansel and Gretal during World War II. It is the story of a young Jewish boy and girl who are separated from their parents and protected by a Polish woman who lives in the woods. Trust me when I say that you don't even need to know the story of Hansel and Gretal to get a lot out of the book. The influence is there, but this book is no fairy tale.

This story has it all - - symbolism, pathos, well developed and sympathetic characters, succinct and cleanly written prose, and suspense. Plus, it had the added bonus of being hard to put down.

For me, the book evoked two of my favorites - - The Book Thief and The Road . . .much more so, the Book Thief, but both came to mind. I didn't cry at the end of this one, show more like I did both of those - - but there were moments while I was reading that my emotions ran very high. There are some very graphic scenes so be forewarned - - but I did not think they were gratuitous.

If I have to be critical - - which I am loathe to do because I really did enjoy reading this one - - I would say that the final chapter did required a bit of suspension of disbelief. Not a whole lot, but some. I felt the way one of the characters was handled at the end wasn't as realistic as the rest of the book. But that's one teensy blemish on an otherwise outstanding read. Highly recommend! show less

The fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel is transformed into a powerful tale during WWII in Poland. Two children are dropped off into the woods by their father and step-mother to find safety with a farmer and told never to use their Jewish names but to be known only as Hansel and Gretel. They are turned away by the farmer but taken in by Magda, who lives in a smal hut on the outskirts of a village. She is called a witch by the villagers but helps the children get fake papers so they will not be mistaken for Jews and killed.
Further into the forest, the father and step-mother discover a band of Russians and the novel moves between these two stories.

my review:
This story was moving and tragic, hopeful and devastating. I loved how the author used show more all the elements of the original fairy tale into this retold Holocaust story. It was very emotional to read at times, but well worth it. When the father goes back to look for the children the first time:

And maybe the children were moving in the same direction. Their bodies were not lying in the road. They were hiding. It was cold but the girl was smart. She'd find a farm or a village. She'd find away to get food.

" I never said their names" he said aloud. " I never did." And it seemed like good luck to him...

He told himself this as he moved into the forest, deeper and deeper, farther from the road and the dead man. He kept saying it over and over as he walked and jogged onward, and only his eyes betrayed him and leaked bitter water onto his face as he fled.

The author manages to convey the horror of the Holocaust within the setting of this small village. It was a well-written and beautifully portrayed powerful story.

my rating 5+/5 show less

I am truly at a loss for words as to how much I adored this book. Yes, it’s another book taking place during World War II but it can’t be defined by that. It is a story of love and compassion, putting your life at risk for others, and the struggle to survive. Unlike other holocaust books I’ve read, this one takes place in a small village in Poland and the surrounding woods and fields. A Jewish family escapes the ghetto and separates in order to try and survive. The children’s names are changed to Hansel and Gretel to try to be accepted if they are found, and of course they are…..by a little old Gypsy woman named Magda. The story follows their life with Magda as well as the life of their father and stepmother who left them at show more the edge of the woods so as not to be caught by the soldiers chasing them. There are other characters intertwined as well, and most will tug at your heart strings.

The writing is absolutely fabulous. There is one scene that takes place in a concentration camp, a horrific place, yet it was beautifully done. As odd as this will sound, I think it was my favorite part of the book. Obviously not because of what took place, but because of the way it was written – so full of love and compassion. It will stay with me for a long time.

Another piece that will stay with me is Greta’s description of the Milky Way……”All those stars in that big streak that goes over the whole sky? You see them? Those are all the Jews who’ve died. All of them died and went up in the air, and the stars are the stars that they wore on their coats. The stars on the coats come off when their souls float up and the stars live up in the sky forever.” And when disturbed by a shooting star falling, Hansel says ”They aren’t falling. They’re going down to meet other people that are going up.” Just beautiful. show less