Hiddensee

A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker

By: Gregory Maguire

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

In this imaginative novel rooted in the rich soil of early-nineteenth-century German Romanticism, beloved New York Times bestselling author Gregory Maguire twins an origin legend of the famous Nutcracker with the life of Drosselmeier, the toymaker who carves him.

Gregory Maguire’s novels have been called ""bewitching,"" ""remarkable,"" ""extraordinary,"" ""engrossing,"" ""amazing,"" and ""delicious."" Having brought his legions of devoted readers to Oz in Wicked, Wonderland in After Alice and Dickensian London in Lost, Maguire now takes us to the Black Forest of Bavaria and Munich of the Brothers Grimm and E. T. A. Hoffman. Hiddensee recreates the backstory of the Nutcracker, reimaging how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how it magically guided an ailing little girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a snowy Christmas Eve. It also brings to life the mysterious godfather Drosselmeier—the ominous, canny, one-eyed toymaker made immortal by Petipa and Tchaikovsky’s ballet—who presents the once and future Nutcracker to Klara, his goddaughter.

But Hiddensee is not just a retelling of a classic story. Maguire discovers in the flowering of German Romanticism a migrating strain of a Hellenic mystery-cult, and ponders a profound question: how a person who is abused by life, short-changed and challenged, can access secrets that benefit the disadvantaged and powerless. Ultimately, Hiddensee, offers a message of hope. If the compromised Godfather Drosselmeier can bring an enchanted Nutcracker to a young girl in distress, perhaps everyone, however lonely or marginalized on the eve of a winter holiday, has something precious to share.

Enthralling!!!!!

Loved it! As usual, Gregory has made a fabulous story!! Never have I been unhappy with his writing!

A lovely Christmas time book

I love the imagination of the author. At times the book seems to drag on but it holds the reader’s interest to the end.
The narrator is superb.

Glad I stuck with it

I had a hard time connecting with the main character at first., and I was a little disappointed that there was less fantasy. I found myself wanting a little bit more like in many of his other novels. The story however was wonderful and all of the characters who grew on me in short order . My very favorite part of this story are the overlaps of Hiddensee and the nutcracker I know from my childhood.

Loved it!

I loved this story. Gregory McGuire is brilliant. So glad I found this writer! I am working my way through his library.

Hidden see

This was enjoyable....a tale for adults. The ending made this long tale worth waiting for.