{"product_id":"hiddensee-lp","title":"Hiddensee LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe author of the beloved \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003ebestseller \u003cem\u003eWicked \u003c\/em\u003ereturns with an inventive novel inspired by a timeless holiday legend, intertwining the story of the famous Nutcracker with the life of the mysterious toy maker named Drosselmeier who carves him.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHiddensee: An island of white sandy beaches, salt marshes, steep cliffs, and pine forests north of Berlin in the Baltic Sea, an island that is an enchanting bohemian retreat and home to a large artists' colony-- a wellspring of inspiration for the Romantic imagination . . .\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHaving brought his legions of devoted readers to Oz in \u003cem\u003eWicked \u003c\/em\u003eand to Wonderland in \u003cem\u003eAfter Alice\u003c\/em\u003e, Maguire now takes us to the realms of the Brothers Grimm and E. T. A. Hoffmann-- the enchanted Black Forest of Bavaria and the salons of Munich. \u003cem\u003eHiddensee \u003c\/em\u003eimagines the backstory of the Nutcracker, revealing how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how he guided an ailing girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a Christmas Eve. At the heart of Hoffmann's mysterious tale hovers Godfather Drosselmeier-- the ominous, canny, one-eyed toy maker made immortal by Petipa and Tchaikovsky's fairy tale ballet-- who presents the once and future Nutcracker to Klara, his goddaughter. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut \u003cem\u003eHiddensee \u003c\/em\u003eis not just a retelling of a classic story. Maguire discovers in the flowering of German Romanticism ties to Hellenic mystery-cults-- a fascination with death and the afterlife-- and ponders a profound question: How can a person who is abused by life, shortchanged and challenged, nevertheless access secrets that benefit the disadvantaged and powerless? Ultimately, \u003cem\u003eHiddensee \u003c\/em\u003eoffers a message of hope. If the compromised Godfather Drosselmeier can bring an enchanted Nutcracker to a young girl in distress on a dark winter evening, perhaps everyone, however lonely or marginalized, has something precious to share.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMaguire, Gregory:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eGregory Maguire is the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eA Wild Winter Swan; Hiddensee\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eAfter Alice\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eConfessions of an Ugly Stepsister\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eLost\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eMirror Mirror\u003c\/em\u003e; and the Wicked Years, a series that includes \u003cem\u003eWicked\u003c\/em\u003e--the beloved classic that is the basis for the blockbuster Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name--\u003cem\u003eSon of a Witch\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eA Lion Among Men\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eOut of Oz\u003c\/em\u003e. Maguire has lectured on art, literature, and culture both at home and abroad. He lives with his family in New England.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50318007009554,"sku":"9780062687944","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_928420a1-9a4e-4558-99fc-898be86e1597.jpg?v=1727545084","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/hiddensee-lp","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}