Maguire takes readers to a deep dark wood where Dirk the foundling dies and comes back to life.

It’s a traumatic incident and the foundling boy, who was never quite whole in the first place, ventures out into the world. Alone, and lost, apart from others and haunted by the past he blocked out, Dirk tries his hardest to connect with someone but is unable to because he just doesn’t know who he is.

As usual, Maguire is a stand-out in describing the German setting and the Bavarian countryside with its immersive descriptions that touch all the senses. It’s simultaneously eerie, majestic and primeval and that’s the point of it. You can see why the Grimm Brothers and other storytellers were so inspired.

Speaking of which, the Grimms make a cameo as well as other sly nods to nymphs, dwarfs and other fairytale creatures that children use to make sense of the world before reality cuts you off from the wonder.

Which brings to the main theme of Dirk’s loneliness. Besides having no social skills, Dirk is set somewhat apart from the adults of the world because of his lack of knowledge. He is instinctively connected to the innocence and simplicity of nature, even though he doesn’t know it. It makes him a great storyteller and kids gravitate toward him which against he doesn’t understand cuz no social skills. It’s the in-betweenness that keeps him isolated but also keeps him sane.

Maguire’s tale illustrates how harmful the break between childhood and adulthood is through the characters especially that of Nastrastan whose sleepwalking signifies her longing for the childhood she lost. Once the mesmerist reveals the root of her problem, she sinks into a depression, unable to handle the loss. Dirk tries in his clumsy way to help her but is unable to because he just can’t connect with others who have lost their childhoods. But he sympathesizes in a way as the mesmerist pulls out his blocked memory of death.

Which brings Maguire’s typical philosphying. Usually this strikes me as Maguire finding himself all too clever but here it was interesting as Maguire connects the Hellenic stories with fairytales and how they’ve always been connected. For example the ancient greek goddess of wisdom is the fairy godmother archtype using “magic” and disguises to grant her heroes like Odysseus to get their happily ever after. It shows how timeless these tales are and how vital they are to explain human nature, ideals and desires.

It’s that ability to muddle through life, finding the sense of childhood and peace, and belonging that Dirk does find a connection with someone. His godchild, Klara and gifts her a nutcracker. Yep, Dirk is Dirk Drosslemier and Maguire weaves a heartfelt and satisfying backstory for the old man. It’s a bit slow for the first half of the book, and it is not sugarplums and snowflakes, but it does tug on the heartstrings.

4 stars.