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The True Story of Hansel and Gretel

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 4,606 ratings · 861 reviews

The True Story of Hansel and Gretal

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 "wi...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published July 29th 2003 by Penguin Books

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Jun 25, 2010 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: distant-lands, littry-fiction, table, titles-that-lie, dana-gets-three

it is dana's birthday!

and as a wonderful birthday present, i am setting aside the proust for a minute, and taking the time to write a dana-requested book review! and before you start thinking that i give shitty presents, here is something else i gave her for her birthday:

it's her crush paul o'neill!! with an erection!! oh, i am so thoughtful...

but this book - let's recover from the levity and put on our serious faces - although it draws from fairy tales and there is a sortof gauze of irreality p...more it is dana's birthday!

and as a wonderful birthday present, i am setting aside the proust for a minute, and taking the time to write a dana-requested book review! and before you start thinking that i give shitty presents, here is something else i gave her for her birthday:

it's her crush paul o'neill!! with an erection!! oh, i am so thoughtful...

but this book - let's recover from the levity and put on our serious faces - although it draws from fairy tales and there is a sortof gauze of irreality permeating the story, there is some seriously disturbing violence here. i mean, these are nazis, their ovens aren't in gingerbread houses, and there isn't any way of tricking them into a death-scenario, because there are just too many of them. so this becomes, as the subtitle states, "a novel of war and survival". the focus is how to live within a world ravaged by horrors - first the soviet union, then the germans - poland was a collection of battered individuals, just trying to stay alive. and this is a chronicle of that time, with a superimposed fairy tale of two jewish children, abandoned in the forest by their father and stepmother, in the hopes that they will survive; "passing" as gentiles called "hansel" and "gretel". their story unfolds as the narrative splits to follow the father and stepmother, as well as various other characters impacted by the horrors of a war that doesn't yet know it is over.

this is my go-to book when people ask for ww2 books that aren't about spies. it's a book that isn't very well-known, but should be. and that's where i come in, with my "put down that michael chabon and read something haunting and unknown!!"

i don't want to give away any endings or emotions, so i can't really say much more. there are some upsetting scenes, here, but there is also a whole lot of beauty; a whole lot of tenacity and just enough "fairy tale"to lighten the psychological burden.

happy birthday, dana!

sheeesh, write a review for a girl, and she doesn't even notice.
maybe she is too busy with paul o'neill.....(less)

36 likes · like · see review

Jun 14, 2011 Chrissie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hf, kirkus, religion, poland, text-checked, kindle

NO SPOILERS!!!

Look at the title of this book. It tells exactly what you will get from this book! Hansel and Gretel is a fairy tale, this is that fairy tale rewritten for adults. I had been warned by reading numerous reviews that this would be a dark tale. I had no idea it would be so very dark. Don't take my words lightly, I warned you! Some reviewers state that the evil is too gruesome, too overboard. I do not make this criticism. Why? Well, because as a child, when we are told fairy tales, we...more NO SPOILERS!!!

Look at the title of this book. It tells exactly what you will get from this book! Hansel and Gretel is a fairy tale, this is that fairy tale rewritten for adults. I had been warned by reading numerous reviews that this would be a dark tale. I had no idea it would be so very dark. Don't take my words lightly, I warned you! Some reviewers state that the evil is too gruesome, too overboard. I do not make this criticism. Why? Well, because as a child, when we are told fairy tales, we are petrified. Now this is a fairy tale for adults. Shouldn't we be truly scared? Shouldn't we be shocked? And yet it has all the ingredients of a fairy tale; there is evil and there is goodness. And how do fairy tales end? The very juxtaposition of the brutal, horrible evil next to the wonderful truly feels like a fairy tale. The author has fulfilled her goal perfectly!

I will give you and example of beauty and wonder alongside brutality and horror:

The sleet covering the forest had frozen into ice on everything she saw.

She walked toward the creek carrying the bucket. The snow was covered with a thick crust of ice that crackled under each footstep. Her foot sunk a few inches, but the snow was so frozen and her weight so slight that she walked over the deep snow as if she had on snow-shoes…..

Standing up, she broke off a twig from a limb and stared at it. The black of the twig was enclosed in a thick layer of transparent ice. She sucked it and the hardness of the ice grew even smoother in the warmth of her mouth. Every branch, every twig, was coated in a thin layer of pure; clear ice. The entire world was diamond-coated. There was an occasional rainbow high up in the trees or in the snow, a patch of color, the sun caught in the ice as in a prism. (43% of the book)

Gretel and her brother Hansel have lost their father and step-mother. They have found their witch in the Polish forests. They have escaped the Bialystok ghetto, but they are so hungry. They are so thin and cold. This is what is referred to when in the quote above where it is said she is "slight". When Hansel dropped the bread crumbs, in the hope that these crumbs would lead their parents back to them, these are not just any crumbs. These crumbs were their sole food. You feel all of this when you read the above sentences. The starving children and the beautiful, glorious forest after an ice storm are juxtaposed. It would be a spoiler if I were to tell you what happens after this glorious ice storm. All throughout the tale beauty and horror nudge each other.

All the historical facts of a biography about Polish children during WW2 are present: the Poles hatred of the Germans and their fear of the Russians. It is not only the Jews who are discriminated against; don't forget the plight of the gypsies. There are rebels hiding in the Bialowieza Forest. So this fairy tale for adults also gives a correct portrayal of Polish events.

The way the story is told, the words the author chooses makes you recognize the tone of a fairy tale. The children remain children, one minute twirling with the abandon of a child and the next revealing the imprint the war has left on them. This is a very moving, well told story. Just as most fairy tales have an important truth to tell; this one does too.

To determine if you should read this book, ask yourself if you really are up to an adult fairy tale……..

(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 ☮Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Normally I would be turned off a bit by the obvious comparisons in the book to the Grimm’s fairy tale, with the stepmother turning the children out into the forest, Hansel leaving bread crumbs along the trails, and the cottage with bread attached to it perhaps meant to lure hungry children. These writing ploys usually make me wonder if the author has any original thoughts. But very quickly Murphy turned me around and I was converted. Instead of an evil witch in the cottage, Magda turned out to b...more

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Feb 12, 2008 Joanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008-read, fairy-tales

This was a chilling book that took a few of the features of the familiar fairy tale and wove them into an incredible story of two Polish children hiding from the Nazis during the end of WWII. By no means a book for children, in this retelling, the author does not mince words and writes extremely graphic scenes depicting the cruelty of the Nazi officials. Nonetheless, the book manages to convey hope. All of the characters are complex and carefully drawn, and the book manages to follow the stories...more

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Aug 17, 2007 John rated it 2 of 5 stars

The reader finds out right away that this novel is set in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II, and that the main characters are Jewish. So the reader has to be prepared for some cruelty. Still, the level, weirdness and frequency of the cruelty in this novel seems egregious to me. And some of the characters don't seem believable -- almost to the point of being cartoonish in one case.
Perhaps when it comes to the Holocaust, it's better to stick to nonfiction. A couple of fine examples are "Nig...more

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May 20, 2012 Book Concierge rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: book-club, concierge, historical-fiction, holocaust, library, strong-women, world-war-ii

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 win...more 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 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.
(less)

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Feb 19, 2008 Joy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookclub-and-suggestions, read-in-2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 03, 2010 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-have-reviewed

In The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, Louise Murphy adapts the classic fairy tale and sets it in World War II Poland. The story begins in the winter of 1943 with a family running from the Nazis. On the verge of being caught, the step-mother convinces the father that the best chance to ensure the safety of the two children would be to leave them in the forest and return for them later. The step-mother instructs the children to never tell anyone who they are and to forget their Jewish names and...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: grimm, lit-american, historical-fiction-ww-ii, favorites, literature-fairy-tale-retold-influ

Many writers make use of fairy tale motifs in thier writing. Murphy isn't even the first writer to make use of such motifs in a tale set during the Holocaust. Yolen's Briar Rose pre dates this.
Murphy's tale has all the power of Yolen's novel.

Murphy does not deal totally with centeral characters; in fact, she does not reveal the true names of four of her central characters. Instead she uses labels that become names. Even Hansel and Gretel are like this, for the names are the equivent of John and...more Many writers make use of fairy tale motifs in thier writing. Murphy isn't even the first writer to make use of such motifs in a tale set during the Holocaust. Yolen's Briar Rose pre dates this.
Murphy's tale has all the power of Yolen's novel.

Murphy does not deal totally with centeral characters; in fact, she does not reveal the true names of four of her central characters. Instead she uses labels that become names. Even Hansel and Gretel are like this, for the names are the equivent of John and Jane Doe. This suits the tale better than actually giving the real names to the central characters. In many cultures and tales, names are power. Knowing someone's name gives a person power over the other. By keeping the key family unit nameless, not only is Murphy making a statement about the universality of the experience, at least for a segement of the population, but the absence of the names keeps the reader and, strangely, the Nazis from having power over the central characters. Labeled and nameless, Hansel, Gretel, and their adults become independent.

Murphy makes good use of the rather horrific tale by manipulating the motifs. She makes a major change to how the oven is used,who the step-mother is, among others. But she keeps the core of the tale the same. It still is that story about two siblings working together instead of at each other throats. Like the source tale, Murphy switches the children's roles halfway the book. In the original, for instance, Gretel is weaker than Hansel at the beginning of the tale, but stronger towards the end. She saves him as he saved her at the beginning of the tale. Murphy does not overlook this key element of the tale.

Murphy's use of the oven is particularly powerfully poignant, for the actual fairy tale of H&GM was suppressed, along with other Grimm tales, after WWII. In the case of H&G it was primary the element of the oven that lead to its suppression. Today, such fairy tales are considered to "dangerous" for children because of the violence and the threat.

Murphy's book with be placed in that category as well. Despite its fairy tale structure, it is a harsh book. It is a truth that bad things happen to good people, especially in a time of war. Murphy does not mince words when describing what occured. Tough, hard, wrenching choices are made. In particular is Murphy's use of the Stepmother and the abandoning of the children. The original story, critics believe, deals with parents having to abandon children during a time of famine, a historic reality. In Murphy's book, the children are "abandoned" so the adults can led the Nazi's away. The family is in flight, the adults willing to give themselves up for the children. It is a believable, heart breaking, and wonderful twist on the original.

Murphy's book also raises questions about choices, scarifice, and right and wrong. It is a wonderful, sad, stirring book. I'm glad I read it.(less)

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Jul 29, 2010 Katie Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Intense book about children trying to survive in Poland during the Holocaust. The Hansel and Gretel story adds a creative twist - but this is certainly not a fairy tale!

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Nov 06, 2011 Daisy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mushrooms, poland, eastern-european-challenge-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 Shawn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Under "Bookshelf" options, there should be an option entitled "Done", as in "I've had it". Were there such a choice, I would have selected it instead of the rather misleading "Read", which suggests that I in fact finished this dreadful novel. I did not. I gave it one star only because, like a "Done" button, the "Star" options are sorely lacking the ability to take stars away. There should be a way to remove stars from future novels by authors of horrendous books that deserve not only no star, bu...more

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May 10, 2008 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to April by: Minnie Romanovich

To date, this is the best retelling of a fairy tale that I have ever read, and I've read a couple of very good ones. The author takes the story of Hansel and Gretel and sets it against the events of World War II and the Holocaust, and it's just brilliantly done.

It starts very briefly with the witch, who is not really a witch. She's a woman of Gypsy blood, but the villagers call her a witch. Then we're introduced to Hansel and Gretel, whose names aren't really Hansel and Gretel. They are two Jewi...more To date, this is the best retelling of a fairy tale that I have ever read, and I've read a couple of very good ones. The author takes the story of Hansel and Gretel and sets it against the events of World War II and the Holocaust, and it's just brilliantly done.

It starts very briefly with the witch, who is not really a witch. She's a woman of Gypsy blood, but the villagers call her a witch. Then we're introduced to Hansel and Gretel, whose names aren't really Hansel and Gretel. They are two Jewish children fleeing the Nazis with their father and their stepmother, and they're left in the dark forest and renamed Hansel and Gretel by their stepmother in order to save their lives. The forest is an actual forest in Poland, very old, dark, deep, and mysterious. The witch's cottage is actually a hut, and inside is a baker's stove and oven.

The biggest difference between the fairy tale and this novel is that the witch has no ill intentions toward the children whatsoever. She takes them in, cares for them, and protects them in whatever ways she can, in such a way that you could almost forget the original tale and how it went. Almost.

There are scenes that will recall you to the events in the fairy tale in an almost revelatory and surprising way. I've actually smiled a few times to see the author's rendition of a familiar story, despite the horrors described.

And yes, there are horrors. A lot of them.

Hansel and Gretel, the fairy tale, is in itself a rather horrific tale, starting with the parent's abandonment, continuing with the witch's terrorizing the children, and ending with the witch's fiery fate. This novel is no different and in fact might even be more horrific because the deeds done in the book are based on reality.

But, like the fairy tale, the story is told in such a matter-of-fact and almost detached sort of way that it seems unreal, like ... well ... a fairy tale. The author uses a omniscient point of view with regular head hopping, which actually works incredibly well because the reader isn't too close to any one character and no one character can see most or all of what happens in the book. Scenes are described almost with no emotion whatsoever, which somehow makes them even more powerfully evocative.

In fact, I found some chapters very difficult to read because of the emotions they wrung from me, like the chapter in which a character named Telek must do his duty to save some of the villagers' children from being taken away. I had to grip my head and rock myself for comfort as I read.

I would rather not write much more about the book as I'd like people to discover the story themselves, so I'll end with this:

This book is a definite keeper.

Finished reading May 10, 2008.(less)

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Nov 06, 2009 Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book was fantastic. What a magical horrifying journey. It's so sad, so scary. The history behind this book is so terrifying.. children fighting for survival, hiding, starving, running, freezing, pretending, facing unimaginable horrors. forced into growing up ahead of their time, developing incredible courage and strength- this book is a perfect mix of fantasy and reality, it will really touch your spirit. I recommend it, but warn that it is dark and depressing at times.

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Jul 30, 2009 Maria Cantalicio rated it 5 of 5 stars

A story set at the end of World War II in Poland this was an amazing read. It gave you a realistic view of the war but at the same time was mystical. The characters were well written and though there were heart wrenthing moments the book was uplifiting.

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Dec 13, 2008 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2005, historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. was a book we picked up by chance one night at borders. it's amazing. it takes the fairy tale of hansel and gretel (two kids ditched in the wood by their parents, find a witch's house, she takes 'em in with the premise of fattening them up to eat them, they escape) and sets it in WWII poland. the two kids in this story are fleeing with their dad and stepmom (all jews) from the germans. the parents tell the kids to run thru the woods because the soldiers are catching up and they will kill the kid...more was a book we picked up by chance one night at borders. it's amazing. it takes the fairy tale of hansel and gretel (two kids ditched in the wood by their parents, find a witch's house, she takes 'em in with the premise of fattening them up to eat them, they escape) and sets it in WWII poland. the two kids in this story are fleeing with their dad and stepmom (all jews) from the germans. the parents tell the kids to run thru the woods because the soldiers are catching up and they will kill the kids because they're too young to work. so the kids flee (hansel and gretel are the names the parents tell them to use instead of their jewish names). they run thru the woods and finally find 'the witch's' house. against her better judgement she takes them in to keep them safe. from there, we spend time with the parents, the villagers (the 'witch' lives just outside of a village), the german soldiers who are occupying the village, the ss guy who is fucking insane and comes to oversee the village, and the witch and the children. the story is really well crafted and we get to see some of the horrors that the poles had to live thru--first being occupied by the russians, then the germans, then the russians again as they forced out the germans. very little food, curfews, always afraid of being killed for looking at a german the wrong way, etc. we see what the partisans (the rebels are what i would call them) do as they live in the woods fighting against the germans. we get to see what life was like for the small town poles living under german rule. when i think of WWII, i just think of germany, nazis, jews and death camps. and pearl harbor. and hiroshima. but those last two are pretty much totally unrelated to the first four. anyway. i forget that russia was hugely involved, as was poland and a lot of other countries. i mean, 100,000 german soliders were sent to russia one winter and the russians fought them all off. stuff like that is amazing to me and i always forget it. i digress again. the ss man was an enlightening character--he allowed me to see what the germans thought they were doing...what they wanted to do (as misguided as it was). they wanted a perfect world and they thought they could get it by killing all the subhumans (the v. young, the v. old, jews, gypsies, physically or mentally handicapped, etc) and breeding more 'perfect' arayn subjects. they had ideals (misguided) that they wanted their new world to have. i never fully grasped that until reading this book. we see the characters suffer a lot of injustices at the hands of the germans (and sometimes other poles). it's very sad in some places and it made me angry too. i just can't get my head around the fact that people thought it was okay to just kill entire races of people in the utterly brutal and inhuman way that they did. at the end of the novel, the author tries too hard (i think) to tie it all back in to the fairy tale laid out at the beginning. it's still a good ending though, and plausible. i just didn't like how obvious it was that 'yep, we're tying it all back in to the fairy tale now, remember how we started with it?'. the story wasn't fairy-tale like at all. it wasn't fanciful or disney or anything. but i thought it was incredibly clever that the author took a fairy tale, saw how it could relate (in the general sense, without the child eating and gingerbread house and so forth) to something so terrible in our history. i have no doubt that children did wander the woods alone, given non-jew names to increase their chances of survival. it was a good book, a good story, and pretty well written. give it a read if you have a chance. 4.6/5 (less)

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Apr 16, 2013 Cassidy rated it 1 of 5 stars

In the book, "The True Story of Hansel and Gretel" by Louise Murphy, two young Jewish children were sent off into the woods by their parents to find shelter to protect them from the harm of the Nazis. The two children we told to change or go by their new names to Hansel and Gretel to hide the fact from others they were Jewish children so they would not be affected by the Nazi soldiers. While in the woods they came across a witch and she took them in and they over together for almost 3 years unti...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Two little Jewish children, a brother and sister, with their father and stepmother, on the run from the Nazis, find themselves in the Białowieża Forest, a magical old growth forest (that actually exists) on the eastern edge of Poland during the last gasps of WWII. This is no fairy tale and yet always the original version leads us on much as the cookie crumbs the little boy scatters as they watch their parents ride off without them, Nazis hot in pursuit.They find an old woman, Magda, at her hut d...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Two young children, brother and sister are left in the woods by their father and stepmother who are fleeing from the Germans in the last months of World War II. To hide their identity as Jews, the two are told their names are now Hansel and Gretel.
On their travels through the woods, the two eventually encounter a house lived in by Magda, an eccentric old woman known to local villagers as the witch. Despite the urging of others, Magda takes in the two children as her grandchildren. She receives h...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Regina Lindsey rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In the opening scene a Jewish family of four flees into rural Poland on a motorcycle with Nazis in pursuit. With fuel diminishing the stepmother convinces the father to send the children into the woods, seeing separation as their only chance at survival. As the children head into the forrest the stepmother advises them to forget their names and take on new ones, Hansel and Gretel.

The premise had so much promise. Many elements of traditional fairy tales in general were obvious. The author did a...more In the opening scene a Jewish family of four flees into rural Poland on a motorcycle with Nazis in pursuit. With fuel diminishing the stepmother convinces the father to send the children into the woods, seeing separation as their only chance at survival. As the children head into the forrest the stepmother advises them to forget their names and take on new ones, Hansel and Gretel.

The premise had so much promise. Many elements of traditional fairy tales in general were obvious. The author did a good job of weaving elements of Hansel and Gretel thorughout as well. In addition to this creative structure the final 50 pages finally held an emotional connection as the fate of the characters were revealted. However, in my opinion, this is where my praise ends.

For me personally, a historical fiction piece has two thresholds to meet to receive a good review. First, I either to learn something new or the work should at least be well researched. Secondly, I need to care about what the character. An emotional connection is very important to me. This book failed on both fronts.

First, there are two simulataneous storylines occuring. The one with the children was the better of the two. The one with the parents and the partisans was a distraction. The character development just wasn't there. More importantly, *****minor spoiler**

The blood transfusion element was disappointing. Obviously this is a personal opinion, but I think an author has a responsibility to educate the reader on the atrocities of this era. There are so many choices this author could have made that were as disgusting but realistic and would have achieved the same response from the characters.

****end of spoiler******

I know I'm in the minority on opinions about this book and I understand the enjoyment others have in the story, but I would have rated the first 100 pages of this book a 1 and the final 50 a 3. I would not recommend this work, as there much better historical fictions handling this subject matter in a more responsible manner. (less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Joy Kieffer rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one!

Recommended to Joy by: required reading for my 11th grader

Shelves: not-recommended

Have you checked out your child's required reading list? DO IT! 11th Grade: The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy.

Not only is this required reading in our school district, it is in the YA section of our local library. Please note that the publisher recommends it for 18 and over. There is a reason, folks!

Ever wondered what happened to the real mother? Top of page two, "He buried his wife beside the road after the strafing, when she lay with her beautiful torso facing the sky, dress...more Have you checked out your child's required reading list? DO IT! 11th Grade: The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy.

Not only is this required reading in our school district, it is in the YA section of our local library. Please note that the publisher recommends it for 18 and over. There is a reason, folks!

Ever wondered what happened to the real mother? Top of page two, "He buried his wife beside the road after the strafing, when she lay with her beautiful torso facing the sky, dress torn, nipples like dead eyes, unblinking."

My review:

Violent porn in the guise of a classic set in Nazi occupied Poland. Gang-Rape of Gretel in detail, graphic murder, repeated sex in front of the children, a nipple obsession throughout the book, another perverted scene too graphic to even list here, Hansel's lust for a pregnant and lactating mother-figure, etc. Sprinkled with obscenities throughout.

Telling students that these scenes will not be discussed, and yet talking about the "rest of the book" without addressing the glaring elephant in the room is akin to an incestuous uncle telling his victim not to tell. "I will rape and pervert your mind, but we won't mention it; we'll act like it never happened, and we'll talk about this book in such a way that you will see that it is acceptable and valued by adult society." THAT is the message these teachers and publishers are getting across to our kids by refusing to even mention the extent of violent and appalling content. I do not deny that the Holocaust was violent and that the practices of the Nazis were horrific, or that our children should be informed. I take issue with using sensuous and provocative passages to describe acts that are illegal and immoral. Glorifying evil in the name of art is deceit and brainwashing and puts this writer in the same category as the Nazis she claims to distain.

It is not literature by any stretch of the imagination. The writing not only doesn't soar, Louise Murphy is an opportunist with average skills. If you want to read about horrific child rape and have your values challenged, read Maya Angelou's personal account. This is a woman who has used her hurt to rise above the ordinary. While I feel that Ms. Angelo goes much too far in her descriptions in places, it is clear that she speaks from a place of justifiable personal rage. Ms. Murphy is simply using the combination of two horrifying elements, the Holocaust and Hansel and Gretel, and using them as a gimmick.(less)

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May 15, 2012 Ami rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved-it, random-find

I thought this was quite a good book. It dealt with a lot of interesting issues, told a pretty unique perspective of WWII, and was a clever retelling of an old fairy tale. I think the story and lessons are important enough that I think I will eventually encourage my children to read it. Really, my initial thought once I finished was "I wish I were a teacher so I could assign this to students."
With that said, the book is probably not for everyone. It has some crude language, which was perhaps com...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Elisabeth Young rated it 3 of 5 stars

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel: A novel of war and survival by Louise Murphy is an adaptation of the original German folktale. In this beautifully tragic retelling, Hansel and Gretel fight for their lives during World War Two in Poland. Hansel and Gretel are two Jewish children that have been given new names by their step mother to hide their true identity. After the children’s separation from their parents they come to meet an old woman living in the forest, who is known to the local villa...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Ken rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book wins the prize for having the worst title ever, although the book itself is a real gem. It’s the story of two Jewish children (an 11 year old girl and her 7 year old brother) who are trying to survive Nazi Poland in the last months of WWII. Parts of the story seem a bit contrived as the author tries to fit in some of the aspects of the famous fairy tale. For instance, the children are told to use the names Hansel and Gretel because their real names will reveal their Jewishness. And the...more

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Oct 08, 2009 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great book about WWII - set in Poland. Mom and Dad are fleeing the Nazis and tell their little boy and girl to flee into the forest and find a farmer to take care of them. They change their names to Hansel and Gretel. The children find an old hut where a gypsy lives. Her name is Magda and she takes them in- gets them documents and hides them during the war. The small Polish town was living under German rule. They had little food, curfew, and always were afraid of being killed. Parents were afr...more

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Mar 12, 2008 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is flat-out great. Of course it focuses on World War II Poland, so it's also incredibly depressing at times. Overall, though, the writing is beautiful and the characters really come to life. Sometimes the author can be brutal to the reader when portraying the Nazis. You almost feel as if you're in the presence of some sort of evil when you read about them. Plus, the character of Magda the Witch is fascinating.

Overall, I highly recommend this. It's hard to put down.

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Sep 04, 2012 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel
by Louise Murphy
This is a hard book to read at times. It is one of the few World War 2 books I have read from the point of view of an ordinary person . The book uses the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel , as a road map . For what happens to Hansel and Gretel, are young siblings. Who are Jew, and are hiding from the Nazi At the end of WW2 . Hansel age 8 and Gretel age 11 ,The children are left in the woods by there father and step mother. So that the Nazi will no...more

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Sep 16, 2009 Kira rated it 3 of 5 stars

Before i read this book i had heard it was good. I was also told it was a little dark but powerful. throughout my reading i realized that it wasin fact dark, but i didn't believe it was powerful, atleast not in a good way. The whole time i was reading, i found myself waiting for the plot to heat up or atleast come to a climax. I'm not the kind of reader who needs a hapy ending, i'm not afraid or turned off by sad or dark books but this one was quit different from anything else i've read. The sto...more

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May 23, 2011 Mauri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This book was a challenge to read. I am always drawn to books about the Holocaust, I think because I admire the strength these people had and all they overcame. This book is about two Jewish children living in Poland who have been separated from their father and stepmother. They must find a way to survive and hide their true identities from the Nazi soldiers. They happen upon a cottage in the forest where Magda, the village "witch" lives. The book tells the tale of the children, Magda, and the p...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Molly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Molly by: You'll Love This One group

Shelves: historical-fiction

This book is terrific. Set in the midst of WW2 Poland, two Jewish children are abandoned by their father and stepmother at the edge of the woods as Nazis close in on them, with the parents forging ahead to be the decoys. Told to ditch their Jewish names and go by Hansel and Gretel instead, they make their way through the woods in search of a farm or village to take them in. They stumble across a strange hut in the ancient forest inhabited by an old woman with a gigantic baker's stove inside. She...more

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About Louise Murphy

Born in 1943 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Louise Murphy began writing stories when she was five years old. An avid reader and prolific writer, she attended the University of Kentucky and taught English to middle-school students in Newark, Delaware, before moving to California in 1968. There, she raised her two children and received a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco Stat...more

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“God didn't come down and kill us. I don't see God shooting children and priests. None of us met God beating up Jews and shoving them into railroad cars. This is men doing the murdering. Talk to men about their evil, kill the evil men, but pray to God. You can't expect God to come down and do our living for us. We have to do that ourselves.” — 8 people liked it

“Do not struggle when the hook of a word pulls you into the air of truth and you cannot breathe.” — 5 people liked it

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