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True Story of Hansel and Gretel
True Story of Hansel and Gretel | Louise Murphy
A poignant and suspenseful retelling of a classic fairy tale set in a war-torn world 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.Louise Murphy s haunting novel of journey and survival, of redemption and memory, powerfully depicts how war is experienced by families and especially by children. "Lyrical, haunting, unforgettable." Kirkus Reviews "No reader who picks up this inspiring novel will put it down until the final pages, in which redemption is not a fairy tale ending but a heartening message of hope." Publishers Weekly"
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MelKelsey
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Pickpick

Book 144

A WWII retelling of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. Well-written, emotional, and dark, with some specific, disturbing details (of the cremations at the camps). Chapters jump between characters' storylines that aren't always entirely clear, but the chapters focused on the kids shine. Well-done and original. I'd like to read more from this author. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kimberlone I read this YEARS ago, but I still remember it as being quite good, if very sad 2y
27 likes1 comment
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Staci
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Pickpick

This book is the grown up version of Hansel and Gretel and man what an ending!!!

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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Eggs Great choice!! 4y
84 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Erica5
Mehso-so

I mean, I finished it. Not my typical genre to begin with, but after reading and LOVING The Nightingale I thought I would give this a go. There is no comparison besides the fact that it is a story about survival during WWII. I don't recommend.

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Erica5
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Picked up this quick read for the weekend

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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OriginalCyn620 Sounds good! 📚🇵🇱 5y
86 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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KarynGood Sounds very intriguing 5y
OriginalCyn620 🖤🖤🖤 5y
PaperbackPirate I loved this book! 5y
89 likes5 stack adds3 comments
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karajay
Bailedbailed

Couldn't do it. Sorry book club!

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karajay
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Morning reads.

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karajay
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Starting my next book club read!

13 likes2 stack adds
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Chrissyreadit
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The plan was to leave a trail, not #feedthebirds
#musicalnewyear
#happilyeverafterswap #heas

Cinfhen Hahaha!! Perfect!!! 5y
Ruthiella Clever!😀❤️ 5y
vivastory Well done! 😂👍 5y
77 likes1 stack add4 comments
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WhatThePuck
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Mehso-so

I bought this book for the Falling For Fall Swap, but Better World Books failed me for the 1st time. This book wasn't in decent enough shape to send out. So I ended up with a book outside of my usual genres and was pleasantly surprised. 2.5🌟

Nu-Bibliophile 💖👍 6y
97 likes9 stack adds1 comment
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AAdamson
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Pickpick

#backpackeurope. I‘ve had this book on my shelf for years. I always seemed to skip right over it when looking for my next read, but this time I picked it up because I was looking for a book set in Poland. I ended up liking this book a lot. It‘s not for everyone, but I ended up feeling very touched by the story.

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AAdamson
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Finally settling into Poland for a few days. #backpackeurope

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BarbaraJean
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So... I‘ve read all four of the books I brought with me, as well as one of the two I bought yesterday. I‘m a third of the way through Tales of Earthsea on Libby, and will no doubt need to at least start another book to last me through the flight home tomorrow evening. So here‘s a mini #makemereadit! Which of these two should I read for my last vacation book: Major Pettigrew or Hansel and Gretel?

Literary_Siren I haven‘t read either one so I don‘t know. But Hansel and Gretel looks interesting. 6y
EH2018 I really liked Pettigrew - Kind of like a Man called Ove and The Little Paris Bookshop or the storied life of aj fikry...same type of feel 6y
BarbaraJean @EH2018 That bodes well—I loved A Man Called Ove and The Storied Life of AJ Fikry! I haaaaated Little Paris Bookshop, but probably for unrelated reasons. 😏 6y
44 likes1 stack add3 comments
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sprainedbrain
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On my tbr for quite a long time now...posting this has me wanting to move it up. 😃

A retelling of the classic fairytale, set in the last months of the Nazi occupation in #Poland. Two children, renamed Hansel and Gretel because their real names reveal their Jewish heritage, are left by their parents to find safety in a dense forest, and are taken in by an old woman determined to save them.

Anyone read this? What did you think?

#AugustIsATrip

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks No! But I‘m stacking!!! 6y
Howseldomtheydo One of the best books I read this year! 6y
See All 19 Comments
Kaye I was luckily just gifted a copy of this from @Avanders . It does sound so good ! 6y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I read this years ago and loved it! 6y
sprainedbrain @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled excellent! I‘m probably going to sneak it in soon, despite all of the other stuff waiting for me to read it. 6y
Cspen113 It sounds like a great one! Adding it to the stack now!! 6y
Melissa_J It‘s a really good book. 6y
Nuwanda Going to check this one out. Sounds like my kind of book! 6y
sprainedbrain @Melissa_J Wonderful! Scribd has it available, so... 😃 6y
Clare-Dragonfly Sounds like something I would enjoy! And reminds me of 6y
HKGirl Oohh, this sounds interesting! Especially because I'm in Poland right now. Putting it on my TBR. 6y
HKGirl And I was going to say it reminds me of Briar Rose (by Jane Yolen) too! 😃 6y
Wife @Kelican17 have it. Read it a long time ago. 6y
TorieStorieS I loved this one!!!! Enjoy!!!😊😊😊 6y
Avanders @Kaye 🤗 it does sound good! 6y
readinginthedark How fascinating! I hadn't heard of this one! 6y
vkois88 I'd love to read this one! I think I've seen it mentioned somewhere before and thought it sounded really good 6y
119 likes11 stack adds19 comments
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Aimeesue
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On sale today for Kindle. I read this one years ago, and I remember parts of it vividly. Gritty, and definitely not a prettified fairy tale.
#kindledeals

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emwank25
Pickpick

Good

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BookaholicNatty
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Found this today and it really sparked my interest! Hansel and Gretel was one of my favorite stories as a kid but I didn‘t know there was a real story behind it!!! Did you?

Crazeedi No I didnt, I'm intrigued! 6y
LauraJ As a Polish Jew, I‘m embarrassed that I didn‘t know this! Hooray for learning! 6y
tracey38 I didn't. Very intrigued now. 6y
Eki The fairy tale Hänsel und Gretel was written up by the brothers Grimm in 1812. That‘s long before Hitler was even born. 6y
111 likes14 stack adds4 comments
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MrBook
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Business has REALLY picked up at the library today! Replacements for other displays for books that got borrowed today. Bottom 1 is for my #London display, the top 5 are for my #BeachReads display, and the middle 6 are for my #WWII display! 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Have you read, or do you want to read, any of these?

#LitsyLovesLibraries #MrBooksDisplays

Nebklvr Monuments Men was excellent 6y
Aimeesue The True Story of Hansen & Gretel was brutal, but very, very good. 6y
104 likes2 comments
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robreadsbooks
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Just started this book. The title and cover drew me in the minute I saw it. I‘m only a quarter of the way in but loving it so far.

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peacegypsy
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Pickpick

This was an audiobook, so I‘m not as adept at critiquing the quality of the prose, but I‘ll say so-so as a novel. The portrayal of Polish Jews, however, was exceptional—and horrifying. The novel offers more insights into what truly transpired in those German ovens. It‘s not easy to hear, not easy to hear at all. 😰 But I always feel I should endure the tale if many had to endure the terrible truth.

31 likes1 stack add
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Howseldomtheydo
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#humpdaypost Just finished this book and am giving it 👍🏻👍🏻 Pic is from my garden on a much warmer day it is snowing yet again today. Chocolate, Wedding ring, I used to wear a Letter Carrier uniform, but I retired at the end of the year! Taxes filed and refund spent!

LibrarianJen Pretty! 😍🦋 6y
96 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Howseldomtheydo
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Cortg This sounds good! 6y
Djspens I love WWII books, this one sounds interesting and very different! 6y
SiriuslyWeasley This was such a good book. 6y
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wanderlustforwords I really enjoyed this book! Great story! 6y
Songbird72 Sounds so good! 6y
Howseldomtheydo @Songbird72 Good book but very graphic 6y
115 likes8 stack adds6 comments
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peacegypsy
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WWII makes this familiar fairytale more absurd—and horrid—than ever before. 😔

23 likes2 stack adds
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tricours
Bailedbailed

Don't think I'll be finishing this.

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tricours
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Well, not much happens at work until at least one more week (I find it so weird that the health sector in Scandinavia just goes all dead in the summer 😶), so I might as well read!

julesG That certainly results in interesting prevalence statistics. 😉 7y
41 likes1 comment
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tricours
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Irresistible Bookbub deal!

15 likes1 stack add
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MyBelovedLittleBooks
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Pickpick

This was an interesting take on the story. I really liked that the author Incorporated elements of the original story. It was very well written and entertaining. I have really been into retellings lately and this one did not disappoint.

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LoverofLit
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"He had gotten all of them out of the ghetto before August deportations....Knowing the trains were loading the other Jews. Hearing the screams and shots all night. Hearing them when he was awake. Hearing them in his dreams while he slept."
A Novel of War and Survival by Louise Murphy

5 likes2 stack adds
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stacylee
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Pickpick

This is the best WWII I've read. Very dark and hard to get through at times, but overall an amazing book.

#fairytaleretelling #photoadaynov16

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DaniRa
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#photoadaynov16 #fairytaleretellings this is the only one I have and have yet to read it but I do so look forward to it. It is a darker version of Hansel and Gretel.

Nebklvr Was there ever a light version? 7y
DaniRa @Nebklvr Haha I actually had the same thought after I posted it but what I mean by "darker" is that there is war and more sadness involved than the basic children's story. ? 7y
22 likes5 stack adds2 comments
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Eastbriar
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Went to Omaha for the day and had to stop at one of my favorite used bookstores, Jackson Street Booksellers. I practiced restraint and only got 4 books this time! I found The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, something I've been wanting to read for ages.

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I love that book!! 8y
MrBook I've added it. The book has piqued my curiosity in that positive bookish way. 8y
58 likes1 stack add2 comments
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AmyBlum
Pickpick

Loved this take on the old tale!