Granville blends together an 1899 Vienna-setting, a late 1930s/1940s German setting and the darker sides of fairy tales into a seamless and wonderful whole. Some elements of the plot are more expected than others, but the richness of the prose adds to the book's absorbing nature. The darkness of the fairy tales works well in highlighting the anti-Semitism present in the Vienna storyline as well as young Krysta's storyline in Nazi Germany. All of the characters completely come to life particularly the obstinate Krysta and the rather dreamy Lilie.

Mixing in fairy tales with World War II is hardly a rarity in fiction (there's a lot of success to be found in The Book of Lost Things, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel: A Novel of War and Survival, and even the young adult The Book Thief), yet Granville's unique style makes this feel completely fresh. There is plenty of horror here, but this is balanced with moments of comedy (I especially love Greet and Gudrun so even the minor characters leap off the page) and even beauty and love. Some of the German phrases may pull some readers out, but typically they are translated or there are enough contextual clues for the meaning to be clear - only a few times did I reach for Google Translate. It's an incredibly polished first novel and I am genuinely looking forward to seeing what Granville will create next - this is a masterpiece and one that is a genuine pleasure to read, even in its most gruesome moments. I am partial to the incorporation of fairy tales, and this is wonderfully accomplished here. I think that this will be a good choice for book discussion groups and clubs and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Granville's work in the future!

Download File Size:341.32 KB

---