Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their parents are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin – its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war. Greta has a secret, though: the witch’s grimoire, hidden away and whispering in Greta’s ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat. But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, are a source of gossip and suspicion. And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta’s magic – magic she is still trying to understand – may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn’t kill her first.

Shannon’s Rating — R (For 6 f-words from one character. There are literally no other swear words in the book. Kell Woods is such an excellent writer. In my opinion, she didn’t need to use foul language in order to make one character seem despicable.)

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

I am such a sucker for a fairytale remake – and this, my friends, is a good one! While the premise is very clearly a continuation of the Hansel and Gretel story, various other fairytales come into play. It was fun to be reading along and find unexpected touches of so many of my childhood fairytales. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and, most notably, Snow White and Red Rose.

Do you know the story of Snow White and Red Rose? I remember loving this tale as a child. If you haven’t heard of this one, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with it in order to fully enjoy “After the Forest.”

Here’s a quick, condensed version for you in case you need it…

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Snow White and Red Rose, by the Brothers Grimm

There once was a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In front of the cottage was a garden wherein stood two rose trees, one of which bore white and the other red roses. She had two children who were like the two rose trees, and one was called Snow White and the other Rose Red. They were as good and happy, as busy and cheerful as ever two children in the world were.

One evening, as they were sitting comfortably together, someone knocked at the door of the cottage. The mother said, “Quick, Red Rose, open the door, it must be a traveler who is seeking shelter.” Rose Red went and pushed back the bolt, thinking that it was a poor man, but it was not. It was a bear that stretched his broad, black head within the door. Rose Red screamed and sprang back. Snow White hid herself behind her mother’s bed. But the bear began to speak and said, “Do not be afraid. I will do you no harm. I only want to warm myself by your fire.” “Poor bear,” said the mother. “Lie down by the fire.” Rose Red and Snow White both came out of hiding. The bear said, “Knock the snow out of my coat a little.” So, they brought the broom and swept the bear’s hide clean. As soon as the day dawned the two children let him out and he trotted across the snow into the forest. Henceforth, the bear came every evening at the same time and slept by their hearth.

When spring had come, the bear said, “Now I must go away. I must go into the forest and guard my treasure from the wicked dwarfs.” And off he went. A short time afterward the mother sent her children into the forest to get firewood. There they found a big tree which had felled to the ground. When they came nearer, they saw a dwarf with an old, withered face and a long white beard. The end of the beard was caught in a crevice of the tree, and the little fellow was jumping about like a dog tied to a rope. He glared at the girls with his fiery red eyes and cried, “Why do you stand there? Can you not come here and help me? The children tried very hard, but they could not pull the beard out. Snow White pulled her scissors out of her pocket and cut off the end of the beard. As soon as the dwarf felt himself free, he laid hold of a bag which lay amongst the roots of the tree, and which was full of gold, and grumbling to himself said, “Uncouth people, to cut off a piece of my fine beard! Bad luck to you!” Then he swung the bag upon his back and went off without once looking at the children.

(As the girls continued on, they managed to save this ungrateful dwarf two more times – once when his beard was stuck in a fishing line and another time when he was being carried away by an eagle.)

Then, as they crossed the heath on their way home, they surprised the dwarf who had emptied out his bag of precious stones. Suddenly, a loud growling was heard, and a black bear came trotting towards them out of the forest. The dwarf sprang up in a fright, but he could not reach his cave, for the bear was already close. “Dear Mr. Bear, spare me. Grant me my life. What do you want with such a slender little fellow as I? You would not feel me between your teeth. Come, take these two wicked girls. They are tender morsels for you, fat as young quails. For mercy’s sake, eat them!” The bear took no heed of his words but gave the wicked creature a single blow with his paw, and he did not move again.

The girls had run away, but the bear called to them. “Snow White and Rose Red, do not be afraid.” They recognized his voice and waited. When he came up to them, suddenly his bearskin fell off and he stood there a handsome man, all clothed in gold. “I am a king’s son,” he said. “I was bewitched by that wicked dwarf, who had stolen my treasures. I have had to run about the forest as a savage bear until I was freed by his death. Now he has got his well-deserved punishment.”

Snow White was married to him and Rose Red to his brother, and they divided between them the great treasure which the dwarf had gathered together in his cave. The old mother lived peacefully and happily with her children for many years. She took the two rose trees with her, and they stood before her window, and every year bore the most beautiful roses – white and red.

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There you go! Snow White and Red Rose! As outdated and silly as they are, I still love these Brother’s Grimm fairytales! So nostalgic!

Are you wondering why I took the time to tell you this story? Well, most people know the tales of Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood etc. Unfortunately, not as many have heard of or remember Snow White and Red Rose – which I think is a shame. If you’re learning about this lesser-known fairytale for the first time today – yay!! Now, go and read “After the Forest” and look for the little glimpses of this one in there. It’s fun!

I would feel somewhat remise if I didn’t warn you that “After the Forest” is not for the faint of heart. This is not a light-hearted story. It’s very much an ode to the original dark fairytales. As long as you’re ok with that…you’re going to love this one. It’s moody. It’s witchy. It’s fallish. It’s the perfect book for your October reading enjoyment!