• The True Story of Hansel and Gretel

  • A Novel of War and Survival
  • By: Louise Murphy
  • Narrated by: Michael Page
  • Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (192 ratings)

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The True Story of Hansel and Gretel  By  cover art

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel

By: Louise Murphy
Narrated by: Michael Page
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Publisher's summary

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.

Combining classic themes of fairy tales and war literature, 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. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel tells a resonant, riveting story.

©2003 Louise Murphy (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Lyrical, haunting, unforgettable." ( Kirkus, Starred Review)

What listeners say about The True Story of Hansel and Gretel

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Rated R for violence & rape

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who aren't bothered by awful details about a child being raped

Has The True Story of Hansel and Gretel turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, I love historical fiction.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The True Story of Hansel and Gretel?

I would cut out the gruesome language & unnecessary details about the awful things that happened in the book.

Any additional comments?

Not for people who like to keep their entertainment PG13. I felt like I lost a bit of my innocence.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Intriguing Title

As I am sure was the point: it was the title that intrigued me.

It was a clever way to weave the fairy tale into a story, but over all I didn’t love it. Not a bad story, but more disturbing and alarming than interesting and compelling… of course the plight of Jews in WW2 is disturbing; but I’ve read better.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great narration; content disturbing

I almost didn't finish listening to this book; the content and details were extremely graphic and upsetting. The story was engaging. Another example of the horrors of war and, sadly, pertinent in our world today.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Vulgarity robbed the beauty from the story

The story began with such beautiful prose, then vulgarity took over. This could have been such a beautiful novel. I will never understand why an author would sacrifice his/her talent for beautiful prose to become a shock jock. The novel became little more than one vulgar scene after another. In my opinion, the vulgarity added nothing to the story. It robbed the beauty from story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This is the best experience.

Couldn’t get enough of story. Kept me wanting more. The narration melded me with each character. Highly recommend.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A creative retake on a classic fairy tale

The classic tale of Hansel & Gretel, the witch in the forest and the trail of bread crumbs reimagined as a harrowing struggle for survival in Poland during the Nazi occupation. Vivid dialogue and characters.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Relentlessly downbeat

Yes, this is a very downbeat story. There is not a bit of levity or happiness. The author was quite creative in weaving elements from the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel into this story of WWII atrocities. If that sounds appealing, give it a listen. Narration is ok, the voice actor is good with accents but rather monotone with narrative.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The struggle of 2 siblings

I thoroughly enjoyed this story Of a brother and sister overcoming obstacles to reach home again .

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Perils andDanjgers of Hansel and Gretel 's s

AVery unique version of the lives of Hanzel and Gretel. I really was fascinated by this version of their lives. The book Title indicates this is a True Story and I am left wondering about that. A s an extremely different Hansel and Gretel Ienjoyed the book, but knowing the history of the Hitler Era it is a sad book also.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Horrible child abuse

I could not even get halfway through the book. When the little girl was raped I stopped reading

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