Hiddensee

by Gregory Maguire

[Heather]

I came at this book with no idea of the story of The Nutcracker.  I've never seen it.  I know there are mice and some soldiers.  That's all I know.  I didn't even know that there was a grandfather who made a nutcracker. 

If you aren't like me (several hundred years out of date with your pop culture), you may see more allusions to the story you know.  For me this was just a series of vignettes in the life of a boy named Dirk.  He was a foundling who seems to move randomly in and out of different people's lives in Germany.  My favorite part was the subtle, dry humor that is slid into the narrative.

For me this book didn't stand up to the love that I have for Wicked.  I keep waiting for a book from this author to reach those heights for me.  Hoping for this level of love did decrease my enjoyment of this book somewhat.  It is harder to let this book try to stand on its own without the expectations placed on it. 

This would be a good book for fans of The Nutcracker who want to delve more deeply into the world.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story