Citation: Murphy, L. (2014). The true story of Hansel and Gretel: A novel of war and survival (M. Page, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Tantor Audio.
Content Warning: This novel depicts sexual assault, violence, war, and the Holocaust.
Louise Murphy reimagines the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel as two Jewish children who were abandoned by their parents as a survival tactic in the final year of World War II in Poland. The children are taken in by and old woman known as the town witch.
It’s a creative retelling, and the author skillfully applies themes from the children’s story without it seeming contrived. This novel is not for the faint of heart, however, because it includes heartbreakingly accurate descriptions of the Holocaust, violence, and World War II as it was, but also as seen through the eyes of children. This story is similar to other YA lit in that it explores difficult topics, but different in that it does not shy away from the graphic depiction of disturbing historical events.