The True Story Of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy – 320 pages
Book Blurb:
In the last months of the Nazi occupation of Poland, two children are left by their father and stepmother to find safety in a dense forest. Because their real names will reveal their Jewishness, they are renamed “Hansel” and “Gretel.” They wander in the woods until they are taken in by Magda, an eccentric and stubborn old woman called “witch” by the nearby villagers. Magda is determined to save them, even as a German officer arrives in the village with his own plans for the children.
My Review: 4.5 stars
Dark, disturbing, hard to read and yet an absolutely fantastic book! This book is a must read for those of you who enjoy WW2 historical/Holocaust related fiction with a twist. The fairy tale concept is a unique take on the Holocaust i.e.: the “ovens” in the gingerbread house. It is taxing on the reader but of course, with children at the heart of the book, there are doses of hope peppered throughout.
Quotes I liked:
Do not struggle when the hook of a word pulls you into the air of truth and you cannot breathe.”
“The Germans have eaten the Gypsies of Poland for breakfast, child, and then they ate the Jews for lunch, but soon it will be supper.”
“We can never let the world take our memories of love away, and if there are no memories, we must invent love all over again.”
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