The True Story of Hansel and Gretel: Historical Fiction Annotation

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel
by Louise Murphy

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: 2003
Number of Pages: 297
Geographical Setting: Eastern Poland
Time Period: World War II/Holocaust (1943)

Plot Summary: This novel reimagines the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel and sets it in Holocaust-era Poland.  A Jewish family--two children along with their father and stepmother--flee their home in hopes of escaping life controlled by the Nazis.  The children are forced to hide in the woods and fend for themselves, but not before their parents tell them to adopt new identities--they are now Hansel and Gretel.  They happen upon Magda the witch, who takes them in and passes them off as Christian orphans.  Meanwhile, the children's parents struggle to survive on their own, trying to ensure that the children are safe and protected.  Through struggles of identity, safety, and the hope of freedom, the story's characters do whatever they must to survive the war and to come back to the old life they held so dear.

Subject Headings: Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945); World War, 1939-1945; Brothers and sisters; Jewish families; Children

Characteristics and Appeal:
Plot/Characterization -- This book is focused on the experience of the characters, regarding both internal and external struggles.  The action goes back and forth between two groups of characters: the children with Magda and the others in the village; and their father and stepmother with their group hiding in the woods.  The narrative is interwoven with the familiar details of Hansel and Gretel (such as Hansel leaving a trail of breadcrumbs in the woods and the witch "caging" Gretel).

Tone -- This story is a very bleak one.  The characters endure serious violence, emotional trauma, and a great deal of fear.  What the author puts them through is very true to what people must have experienced during the Holocaust, especially those who went into hiding from the Nazis.  Because of the realistic narrative, the book has a very dark tone that exposes the grittiest side of human nature and of the victims of oppression.

Pacing -- The book takes place over one winter, so the pace is somewhat quick.  The writing is compelling and, along with fairly short chapters, it moves the reader along, encouraging him/her to keep reading to find out what happens to the characters in the end.

Read-Alikes:
A True Novel by Minae Mizumura -- This story of World War II is a retelling of another classic story (Withering Heights) that explores the bleakness of the time.

Kindergarten by Peter Rushforth -- This is another retelling of Hansel and Gretel that involves a character who must confront her own experience in surviving the Holocaust.

Nostalgia by Dennis McFarland -- This is a compelling story of a young man who has a strong relationship with his sister, and who struggles with finding shelter and maintaining his identity as he fights during the Civil War.