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Gingerbread
Fairy tale and history, wilderness and civilisation collide in this brilliant and magical new novel from the author of Little Exiles.
In the depths of winter in the land of Belarus, where ancient forests straddle modern country borders, an orphaned boy and his grandfather go to scatter his mother’s ashes in the woodlands. Her last request to rest where she grew up will be fulfilled.
Frightening though it is to leave the city, the boy knows he must keep his promise to mama: to stay by and protect his grandfather, whatever happens. Her last potent gifts – a little wooden horse, and hunks of her homemade gingerbread – give him vigour. And grandfather’s magical stories help push the harsh world away.
But the driving snow, which masks the tracks of forest life, also hides a frozen history of long-buried secrets. And as man and boy travel deeper among the trees, grandfather’s tales begin to interweave with the shocking reality of his own past, until soon the boy’s unbreakable promise to mama is tested in unimaginable ways.
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2014
70 people are currently reading
2068 people want to read
About the author
Robert Dinsdale
10 books317 followersRobert Dinsdale was born in North Yorkshire and currently lives in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
He is the author of PARIS BY STARLIGHT, THE TOYMAKERS, GINGERBREAD, LITTLE EXILES and THE HARROWING
He is the author of PARIS BY STARLIGHT, THE TOYMAKERS, GINGERBREAD, LITTLE EXILES and THE HARROWING
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
July 24, 2020
Please be aware that this review might contain spoilers.
Gingerbread is the story of a boy (Alek) who's been brought to live at his grandfather's house by his mother who's dying of cancer. She makes her son promise that he'll always take care of his papa, come what may. After she passes, Alek and papa venture out into the dark woods to take her ashes where she asked to be spread--under a tree, near an old house that's familiar to papa. At first, papa hates the idea and doesn't want to go into the woods, then the woods seem to cling to him, making him wild again, and he cannot leave. He tells tales of the Winter King, the Iron Wall, and Perpetual Winter. At first, Alek is very interested in his papa's tales and loves living wild and free in the forests.
"I promise, too. We don't have to leave the woods, papa. If the trees won't let you, they won't let me either. I'll stay wherever you are. I'll look after you. We'll look after each other, papa. I promised mama."
They move on and continue to live in the forests, while life continues outside in the city. As the seasons pass, a little girl named Elenya moves into their old house in the woods, and Alek is reminded of his old life of warmth, delectable food, and normalcy. Papa's tales become more heinous and Alek begins to question everything. The one promise Alek must never forget: always protect his papa.
This book held my interest at first as I fell in love with the descriptive writing and became lost in the wild with these characters. The woodland setting in Belarus was enchanting along with the Slavic history which was totally unexpected. All the darkness captured me, but then the tale dragged on for what seemed like forever when nothing much was happening. It was a bit humdrum for a large portion of the book, but this book is a perfect example of why I don't like to make the decision to quit books early. Roughly halfway through the story started to unfold as papa's history becomes more clear. It became an erratic race to the end to find out the characters' fates. Overall, I enjoyed this story.
4****
Gingerbread is the story of a boy (Alek) who's been brought to live at his grandfather's house by his mother who's dying of cancer. She makes her son promise that he'll always take care of his papa, come what may. After she passes, Alek and papa venture out into the dark woods to take her ashes where she asked to be spread--under a tree, near an old house that's familiar to papa. At first, papa hates the idea and doesn't want to go into the woods, then the woods seem to cling to him, making him wild again, and he cannot leave. He tells tales of the Winter King, the Iron Wall, and Perpetual Winter. At first, Alek is very interested in his papa's tales and loves living wild and free in the forests.
"I promise, too. We don't have to leave the woods, papa. If the trees won't let you, they won't let me either. I'll stay wherever you are. I'll look after you. We'll look after each other, papa. I promised mama."
They move on and continue to live in the forests, while life continues outside in the city. As the seasons pass, a little girl named Elenya moves into their old house in the woods, and Alek is reminded of his old life of warmth, delectable food, and normalcy. Papa's tales become more heinous and Alek begins to question everything. The one promise Alek must never forget: always protect his papa.
This book held my interest at first as I fell in love with the descriptive writing and became lost in the wild with these characters. The woodland setting in Belarus was enchanting along with the Slavic history which was totally unexpected. All the darkness captured me, but then the tale dragged on for what seemed like forever when nothing much was happening. It was a bit humdrum for a large portion of the book, but this book is a perfect example of why I don't like to make the decision to quit books early. Roughly halfway through the story started to unfold as papa's history becomes more clear. It became an erratic race to the end to find out the characters' fates. Overall, I enjoyed this story.
4****
October 14, 2014
Nancy Wynne Newhall was an American photography critic, who once quoted remarkably about the wilderness in nature:
“The Wilderness holds answers to more questions than we have yet learned to ask.”
Robert Dinsdale, an English author, has spun a spectacularly wild tale about a boy, some unforgettable forest fables and forest in the unexplored land of Belarus, in his new novel, Gingerbread.
I'd like to thank the author immensely, for sending me over the copy of his new novel, in return for an honest review.
A young boy travels to the other part of city with his mama to visit his grandpa, who he used to address as "papa". But then his mother dies due to cancer, and his mama make him promise her that he would take care of his "papa" no matter what. Thus begins the story of a boy and a man who was once a boy! His mother wanted to take her ashes to the tenement where she grew up with her baba and papa in the forest. But after reaching the forest and after laying his mama alongside her baba, his "papa" couldn't leave the forest and become relentless to go away from the wild, so they settle up there in the forest by making camps and dens and eating the dead his mama's gingerbread and listening to the trees and living up with the wild. Each season goes by, and the boy's "papa's" wild fables become wilder and more sinister with the tales of the Perpetual Winter in the City of Gulag and the Winter King's wrath. But when a little girl, named Elenya comes to live in the forest along with her parents in the boy's old house, things get changed and the boy becomes more drawn to the life he had abandoned in the city and seeing the girl with her parents in a warm home, leave the boy with a longing feeling and thus eventually he grows more distant from his "papa". Will the boy hold onto his wild "papa" to keep his mother's promise? Will his longing make him go away from the wild which is now his only home? Read this delirious novel which not only awes your mind but also leaves your heart with a longing feeling for the unknown wild out there.
You must be wondering what the boy's name and why the protagonist do not have a name, well to be honest, that's a mystery and it is revealed later, and for that you really need to read this compelling novel!
This is a good book to break away from the daily hustle-bustle of the city. But this book is not a light-read book, instead, it has got a depth like The Devil's Sinkhole, that for the whole time you lose yourself in the wilderness of the forests. What can I say about the author's illustrious storytelling, in one word- completely incredible. Not even for a single second, I found myself wandering away from the gripping tale.
A boy, his dead mama, and his papa (his mama's father), Elenya and Mr. Navitski are the key characters of the book, which adds an edge to the tale which makes the story more believable and justifiable. Their flaws are dark sides are strikingly portrayed, for example, the girl, Elenya had a dark side and it was not revealed in the story and that anticipation made the story more intriguing. The characterization is skillfully crafted and the unfolding of the plot was remarkably narrated by the author.
The author has shed light about the wilderness which somehow held the answers to the boy's unanswered questions and curiosity.
Do read this novel and find yourself losing away in the wild of the nature and in the fables that touch your mind and soul by leaving an impression upon your mind.
I'm looking forward in reading the author's previous novel, Little Exiles.
“The Wilderness holds answers to more questions than we have yet learned to ask.”
Robert Dinsdale, an English author, has spun a spectacularly wild tale about a boy, some unforgettable forest fables and forest in the unexplored land of Belarus, in his new novel, Gingerbread.
I'd like to thank the author immensely, for sending me over the copy of his new novel, in return for an honest review.
A young boy travels to the other part of city with his mama to visit his grandpa, who he used to address as "papa". But then his mother dies due to cancer, and his mama make him promise her that he would take care of his "papa" no matter what. Thus begins the story of a boy and a man who was once a boy! His mother wanted to take her ashes to the tenement where she grew up with her baba and papa in the forest. But after reaching the forest and after laying his mama alongside her baba, his "papa" couldn't leave the forest and become relentless to go away from the wild, so they settle up there in the forest by making camps and dens and eating the dead his mama's gingerbread and listening to the trees and living up with the wild. Each season goes by, and the boy's "papa's" wild fables become wilder and more sinister with the tales of the Perpetual Winter in the City of Gulag and the Winter King's wrath. But when a little girl, named Elenya comes to live in the forest along with her parents in the boy's old house, things get changed and the boy becomes more drawn to the life he had abandoned in the city and seeing the girl with her parents in a warm home, leave the boy with a longing feeling and thus eventually he grows more distant from his "papa". Will the boy hold onto his wild "papa" to keep his mother's promise? Will his longing make him go away from the wild which is now his only home? Read this delirious novel which not only awes your mind but also leaves your heart with a longing feeling for the unknown wild out there.
You must be wondering what the boy's name and why the protagonist do not have a name, well to be honest, that's a mystery and it is revealed later, and for that you really need to read this compelling novel!
This is a good book to break away from the daily hustle-bustle of the city. But this book is not a light-read book, instead, it has got a depth like The Devil's Sinkhole, that for the whole time you lose yourself in the wilderness of the forests. What can I say about the author's illustrious storytelling, in one word- completely incredible. Not even for a single second, I found myself wandering away from the gripping tale.
A boy, his dead mama, and his papa (his mama's father), Elenya and Mr. Navitski are the key characters of the book, which adds an edge to the tale which makes the story more believable and justifiable. Their flaws are dark sides are strikingly portrayed, for example, the girl, Elenya had a dark side and it was not revealed in the story and that anticipation made the story more intriguing. The characterization is skillfully crafted and the unfolding of the plot was remarkably narrated by the author.
The author has shed light about the wilderness which somehow held the answers to the boy's unanswered questions and curiosity.
Do read this novel and find yourself losing away in the wild of the nature and in the fables that touch your mind and soul by leaving an impression upon your mind.
I'm looking forward in reading the author's previous novel, Little Exiles.
May 30, 2015
I'm still digesting this dark, compelling, wonderful novel and will review fully in due course.
March 8, 2019
interesting novel but the book didn't really grab me though
November 27, 2014
A boy is brought to the house of his grandfather, a bleak tenament flat in a Belarussian town. His mother is dying of cancer and has brought her son to live with her father. Slowly, reluctantly, Grandfather, or Papa, begins to tell the boy and mother the stories he told to her as a child. Of Baba Yaga, the deep forests, and of the mighty Winter King and the King in the West who fought a terrible war over Belarus when it was Poland.
The mother's dying wish is for her ashes to be scattered with those of her mother in the great ancient forest beyond the town. Grandfather, or Papa, is deeply reluctant but on a day when the roads are deep in ice he relents and takes the boy and his mother's remains out to a near ruined house. It becomes clear that Papa is not afraid of the forest, he is afraid of not wanting to leave it. Daily Papa remains in the house only venturing to collect the boy from school, then one day he does not come and the boy goes in search of him.
It is the beginning of a stunning magical cartwheeling story where boy and grandfather leave the urban for the wild and enter a world of stories, of partisan fighters who retreated to safety among the trees, of women and children massacred and the trees that drank too deeply of their blood and have become wicked, of survival, and love.
Dinsdale weaves the two parts of his story - narrative and folklore, together in such a skillful way that both drive each other. Crises come, injury, new people in the forest, decisions to be made over loyalty, faithfulness and friendship, but always the ancient forest full of wildlife is a world beyond narrative where the past and present are bound together.
The mother's dying wish is for her ashes to be scattered with those of her mother in the great ancient forest beyond the town. Grandfather, or Papa, is deeply reluctant but on a day when the roads are deep in ice he relents and takes the boy and his mother's remains out to a near ruined house. It becomes clear that Papa is not afraid of the forest, he is afraid of not wanting to leave it. Daily Papa remains in the house only venturing to collect the boy from school, then one day he does not come and the boy goes in search of him.
It is the beginning of a stunning magical cartwheeling story where boy and grandfather leave the urban for the wild and enter a world of stories, of partisan fighters who retreated to safety among the trees, of women and children massacred and the trees that drank too deeply of their blood and have become wicked, of survival, and love.
Dinsdale weaves the two parts of his story - narrative and folklore, together in such a skillful way that both drive each other. Crises come, injury, new people in the forest, decisions to be made over loyalty, faithfulness and friendship, but always the ancient forest full of wildlife is a world beyond narrative where the past and present are bound together.
November 21, 2013
The five star system doesn't seem to be adequate when it comes to books like this. Having read Little Exiles, I was expecting this to be good, but couldn't anticipate just how well written, and horrifying the novel would be. Robert Dinsdale has taken a story of loss and emotional trauma, and wrapped it up in the history and folktales of Belarus to create something quite exceptional. Alek is a young boy determined to honour the last requests made by his dying mother; to protect his 'Papa' and to return her ashes to the forest cottage where she was born. Alek cannot possibly imagine the horrors that have taken place in the forests of Belarus, or the effect that this history will have on his grandfather. The tragic story of Alek's family, and of his country, is slowly revealed through the 'fairy-tales' told by ‘Papa’; and as the pair become increasingly distanced from the modern world, these dark tales begin to have a horrific impact on both of them. This is an unforgiving book, as brutal and twisted as the stories that weave through the lives of Alek and his Papa, and yet remains one of the most perfectly beautiful things I have read this year. It’s an incredible work.
March 22, 2014
A beautiful novel with all the elements of eminent storytelling. This is for readers who like to be swept-off to faraway lands and tales of survival, humanity and betrayal. It takes the reader on the journey of a (mostly) unnamed boy through the grief of his dying mother to the love of his grandfather whose stories will reveal shocking secrets locked in time, in the dark, depths of the ancient forests. Dinsdale challenges readers, at a couple of points, to suspend reality entirely but his magical story and its lure to read-on-regardless, is surely a sign that this is a brilliant book.(less)
Mar 20, 2014 01:51PM · delete
Mar 20, 2014 01:51PM · delete
February 27, 2016
This book took my breath away multiple times. It's so beautiful, yet horrifying and terribly sad. Set in Belarus, a boy ventures into the woods with his grandfather, who has wonderful folk tales to tell...which soon merge into something much more sinister. the way the story unfolds is so gripping, it was very hard to put down.
July 14, 2015
Does a creepy tone very well, but the mix of stories and reality make it hard to know what's actually happening. I mean, obviously it was intended that way, but I think unintentionally it also made it have less impact. You can't take things as seriously because you don't know where the boundaries are.
Spoilers abound but I'm not going to white them out or we'd lose the whole thing. Just skip if you intend to read it blind.
For instance, the grandad takes some pretty critical injuries during a fall down a hole. His tongue splits in half, his leg is broken and maimed, there is blood and distortion and as a reader you're wondering what happens next, right? But because there was a scene earlier where Grandad had fallen asleep so deeply and silently he appeared dead, and then apparated at the car, I wasn't convinced it wasn't a ghost Grandad. So I fully expected the injured man to reincarnate himself again. Which he didn't, he survived and healed. Which makes no sense, even survivors with incredibly strong will, and the healing advantage of the cold to prevent sepsis - he could not have survived this fall because they'd been scavenging. There's no fat stores to burn through. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief or get a handle on what was really happening because clearly some rules can be bent, if he can live through that and they can live through the winter, but not all rules and not consistently and who knows what they are.
So it was a struggle for me to care about the story when I couldn't get a feel for the shape of it. Several story threads I'd have liked to see followed further, like the reunion of Grandad to his girl he was coming back for, are never reached. It's like they drop the low point in his story as the climax and I found it unclimactic because I've read too many genuine survival stories to be surprised anymore. So instead of pushing through it to the ending I was waiting for it just stops short and we never find out how Grandad came to be Grandad rather than just the war survivor.
I also didn't learn much woodcraft from it and I'd have liked to. And I thought the sense of fear of the Wild Man made the relationship with the children hard to follow, because they're playing and I'm genuinely waiting for them to be killed and I can't tell if that was the atmosphere he was going for, but it's hard to get into their chatter with each other when you're waiting for doom to strike.
Anyway. It's interesting. Even if I didn't particularly like it.
Spoilers abound but I'm not going to white them out or we'd lose the whole thing. Just skip if you intend to read it blind.
For instance, the grandad takes some pretty critical injuries during a fall down a hole. His tongue splits in half, his leg is broken and maimed, there is blood and distortion and as a reader you're wondering what happens next, right? But because there was a scene earlier where Grandad had fallen asleep so deeply and silently he appeared dead, and then apparated at the car, I wasn't convinced it wasn't a ghost Grandad. So I fully expected the injured man to reincarnate himself again. Which he didn't, he survived and healed. Which makes no sense, even survivors with incredibly strong will, and the healing advantage of the cold to prevent sepsis - he could not have survived this fall because they'd been scavenging. There's no fat stores to burn through. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief or get a handle on what was really happening because clearly some rules can be bent, if he can live through that and they can live through the winter, but not all rules and not consistently and who knows what they are.
So it was a struggle for me to care about the story when I couldn't get a feel for the shape of it. Several story threads I'd have liked to see followed further, like the reunion of Grandad to his girl he was coming back for, are never reached. It's like they drop the low point in his story as the climax and I found it unclimactic because I've read too many genuine survival stories to be surprised anymore. So instead of pushing through it to the ending I was waiting for it just stops short and we never find out how Grandad came to be Grandad rather than just the war survivor.
I also didn't learn much woodcraft from it and I'd have liked to. And I thought the sense of fear of the Wild Man made the relationship with the children hard to follow, because they're playing and I'm genuinely waiting for them to be killed and I can't tell if that was the atmosphere he was going for, but it's hard to get into their chatter with each other when you're waiting for doom to strike.
Anyway. It's interesting. Even if I didn't particularly like it.
April 2, 2015
'Gingerbread' is a wonderful tale mixing stark reality with fairytale and folklore. Dinsdale tells the story of an orphaned boy and his grandfather, who go to the forests in Belarus to scatter his mother's ashes. The boy has promised his mother that he will protect his grandfather, a task he takes very seriously; a task much bigger than he imagined. As the story unfolds, Grandfather's tales unearth a terrible history, which bring to life horrors the boy had imagined were only for stories.
As the story progresses, Grandfather's health unravels, and his grasp on his current reality wavers. It happens slowly, and we see it through the eyes of the boy, who does not understand what is going on, which has a similar effect on the reader as 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - we don't notice how much the horror has built until it reaches its climax.
The way I read this book - which was piecemeal - did not do it justice, and I'm wary now of critiquing too much. I found it difficult to get into Grandfather's tales, but I think if I'd had the freedom to read for longer periods, this might not have been a problem. The main strength of this book is, I think, the intricate tapestry of history, folklore, and realism, which addresses the horrors of war and the fragility of mental health. The unravelling of Grandfather is managed so well that it haunts you.
This is certainly a book that got under my skin.
As the story progresses, Grandfather's health unravels, and his grasp on his current reality wavers. It happens slowly, and we see it through the eyes of the boy, who does not understand what is going on, which has a similar effect on the reader as 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - we don't notice how much the horror has built until it reaches its climax.
The way I read this book - which was piecemeal - did not do it justice, and I'm wary now of critiquing too much. I found it difficult to get into Grandfather's tales, but I think if I'd had the freedom to read for longer periods, this might not have been a problem. The main strength of this book is, I think, the intricate tapestry of history, folklore, and realism, which addresses the horrors of war and the fragility of mental health. The unravelling of Grandfather is managed so well that it haunts you.
This is certainly a book that got under my skin.
March 1, 2014
Having never read any of Dinsdale's novels previously I was unsure what to expect, and found myself trudging through at a slow pace. Within 20 pages, this all changed and I was racing through to the end, sat on the edge of my seat for the last 50 (or so) pages.
The book follows the story of a boy, and the tragic events which lead up to him living in a forest for over a year. Within the narrative however you are introduced to fairytales told by the boy's Grandfather which oddly reflect the events happening in the book.
I can't begin to tell you how much I adored this book, and I will definately by racing off to my nearest bookstore to find the rest of Dinsdale's novels.
The book follows the story of a boy, and the tragic events which lead up to him living in a forest for over a year. Within the narrative however you are introduced to fairytales told by the boy's Grandfather which oddly reflect the events happening in the book.
I can't begin to tell you how much I adored this book, and I will definately by racing off to my nearest bookstore to find the rest of Dinsdale's novels.
February 28, 2014
I won this in a goodreads give away and I absolutely loved this book. Started out thinking it would be a lovely sad book about a kind grandfather and a boy, not at all what I expected it to be. One of those easy reads that you cant put down, Im definitely going to recommend it to friends and family!
March 15, 2014
I received this book in a goodreads giveaway and I really enjoyed it!
I haven't read a book like it and really enjoyed the storyline!
I haven't read a book like it and really enjoyed the storyline!
January 6, 2021
Behind every folktale is more grains of truth than you realise. Myths and legends are a way of passing on dark histories and making them more palatable. They apply a lens to dark parts of pasts that others them and safely categorises them while keeping an element of the danger and fear that once was. We can say look what might happen but it’s only a story, only sometimes we can’t face what has happened and so must make it a mere story. However what happens when the story tale encompassing these memories starts to break and unfurl and the memory escapes back into the full truth and horror that it was trying to make more gentle? Dinsdale explores the moments of history that are often not talked about and hidden in this novel by looking at personal and national histories and the fairy tales about them as they unfurl. Their is the idea in here that individuals and nations can retain trauma but try to cover it, we hide it behind other things, only sometimes it can’t be kept there and rises to the surface. The story itself is quite poetic but the layers behind it increasingly get darker and brought to the surface as the reader turns every page.
The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale is one of my all time favourite books so I was really excited to read this. Dinsdale has a writing style that I’ve yet to find anyone else who adopts it. It’s lyrical and mythic, poetic and dark. Gingerbread is a very deep, very disturbing, multilayered novel. There is a real mix of magical realism, storytelling and horror in this. The boundaries between genres and truth and fiction is always slightly blurred and murky which is what makes it so importable to put down but equally make you peer at the words on the pages from behind a cushion. This really is an amazing piece of literature that I think shall be haunting me for quite some time.
The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale is one of my all time favourite books so I was really excited to read this. Dinsdale has a writing style that I’ve yet to find anyone else who adopts it. It’s lyrical and mythic, poetic and dark. Gingerbread is a very deep, very disturbing, multilayered novel. There is a real mix of magical realism, storytelling and horror in this. The boundaries between genres and truth and fiction is always slightly blurred and murky which is what makes it so importable to put down but equally make you peer at the words on the pages from behind a cushion. This really is an amazing piece of literature that I think shall be haunting me for quite some time.
December 14, 2023
In Belarus, a young boy called Alek has recently lost his mother and his living with his grandfather in a tenement flat. His mother's dying wishes were for her ashes to be scattered in the ancient forests nearby and for Alek to stay with and protect his grandfather. Alek's grandfather is initially reluctant to go to the forest but Alek eventually persuades him. When they finally travel to the forest, his grandfather shows Alek the house where he and his grandmother once lived, which is now derelict. The pair make the house habitable and start spending time there and, as time goes on, Alek's grandfather gets more and more obsessed with the forest. But his obsession with the forest brings back dark memories from his past - a past which, reading between the lines, seems to go back to his experiences during and in the aftermath of World War Two - and which causes changes in the grandfather's behaviour which make Alek feel torn between his promise to his mother and his fears for, and of, his grandfather....
I seem to be going against the majority of reviews with my thoughts on this one but I must admit that this one didn't really grip me at all. This may be down to the book being told from the point of view of the child character, Alek, which quite often doesn't work for me. I even stopped reading it at one time and read something else before returning to it. I felt that the book did improve slightly towards the end but, by that time, it was too late and I didn't really enjoy the inter-weaving of the fairy tales into the narrative. Not for me I'm afraid - 5/10.
I seem to be going against the majority of reviews with my thoughts on this one but I must admit that this one didn't really grip me at all. This may be down to the book being told from the point of view of the child character, Alek, which quite often doesn't work for me. I even stopped reading it at one time and read something else before returning to it. I felt that the book did improve slightly towards the end but, by that time, it was too late and I didn't really enjoy the inter-weaving of the fairy tales into the narrative. Not for me I'm afraid - 5/10.
December 9, 2023
Very atmospheric, fairytale type story! This was a 5 star read all the way up until the ! I devoured the book. There was only that one problem.
The book takes place in what is known today as the Białowieża Forest on the border between Poland and Belarus. Interestingly enough, when I looked up this forest, I found out that there is an ongoing humanitarian crisis and migrant issue very similar to what we currently have going on in the US right now. I had no idea that EU countries have their own border walls.
I will be checking out more by Robert Dinsdale. Hopefully they won’t all have this issue.
The book takes place in what is known today as the Białowieża Forest on the border between Poland and Belarus. Interestingly enough, when I looked up this forest, I found out that there is an ongoing humanitarian crisis and migrant issue very similar to what we currently have going on in the US right now. I had no idea that EU countries have their own border walls.
I will be checking out more by Robert Dinsdale. Hopefully they won’t all have this issue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2015
This is the first book of Robert Dinsdale’s that I’ve read and picked up this copy from a wonderful Oxfam charity shop near Tottenham Court Road in London where the synopsis immediately intrigued me and begged to be bought and devoured. I love fairy tales, fairy tale re-imaginings, alternative fairy tales… you name it. Just the mere mention of the word fairy tale will ensure it gets put in my basket and after reading lots of positive reviews of this novel on Good Reads, I was eager to get stuck in and form my own opinion. Gingerbread is like nothing I’ve ever read before and although fairy tales play a huge part in this novel, it’s not your average “happily ever after” read. If I had to compare it to something, I would probably choose Roald Dahl’s version of Cinderella from his Revolting Rhymes book (not entirely sure why!) except that the story is incredibly unsettling and plays on your mind long after the book has been closed.
Our narrator for Gingerbread is a young boy (unnamed at least in the beginning) who has moved in with his grandfather (known as Papa) in Belarus with his mother who is herself dying of cancer. Before she passes away, the boy’s mother manages to extract two promises from her son. One, that he will scatter her ashes in the forest by the cottage where she used to live in her childhood and two, most importantly, that he will look after his grandfather, no matter what. Unfortunately, the boy is about to discover how hard it is going to be to keep these promises to his mother. Papa is hugely reluctant to go into the forest but after a lot of pestering the boy manages to persuade him to go there so that he can fulfil part one of his mother’s wishes.
The problem is, now that Papa has arrived in the forest at his old cottage, he becomes increasingly loath to leave it again which is okay at the start as the two ensconce themselves safely within the house. The boy has always enjoyed the magical stories his papa tells him and indeed he seems to have a gift for luring the listener deep within a time where a Winter King wars against enemies of the West. It is not long however before everything slowly begins unravelling leading to the cottage being abandoned, the two living in make-shift shelters in the woods and practically starving and the stories that Papa tells becoming more frightening erring on the monstrous. The boy stops going to school and is filthy, thin and very concerned about the transformation he sees day by day in his grandfather’s character. The lines between fiction and reality become blurred and when a family with a girl called Elenya moves into the cottage it could be a desperately needed lifeline to bring the boy and his grandfather back to civilisation. Or, it could be very dangerous for them all.
This was such an intriguing novel and definitely not what I expected when I first picked it up. I loved the way in which the author used historical fiction blended in with fantasy and even at some points horror, to create a mish-mash of genres that fit so perfectly in this unique story. It’s a fairy tale yes, but a very different one and I really enjoyed the pockets of darkness that Robert Dinsdale placed within the narrative to illustrate a descent in mental health that takes the characters back to their very basic selves. I think the phrase “survival of the fittest,” definitely applies to this story and there are certain depths you think as an individual you would never stoop to but perhaps when your life is on the line, this attitude no longer holds weight and you have to fight to stay alive.
For some parts of the novel, you have to suspend your disbelief which wasn’t a problem for me personally but I can understand why some people may find it difficult or too unbelievable. In this way I thought Papa was a fantastic character and loved exploring his murky depths but my heart also bled for the boy who at the end of the day is just trying to keep his beloved mother’s last wishes and look after his grandfather. The addition of Elenya was also a nice choice, bringing new life to the story and it was interesting to follow her growing relationship with the “wild boy.” This book probably isn’t for you if you like your endings all wrapped up with a little bow and everyone living in harmony together – it’s incredibly dark and twisty and will play with your mind for days after finishing it. However if you’re a big fan of the darkness and subtle horror like me, read this book immediately (and maybe don’t go into the woods on your own).
Please see my full review on my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
Our narrator for Gingerbread is a young boy (unnamed at least in the beginning) who has moved in with his grandfather (known as Papa) in Belarus with his mother who is herself dying of cancer. Before she passes away, the boy’s mother manages to extract two promises from her son. One, that he will scatter her ashes in the forest by the cottage where she used to live in her childhood and two, most importantly, that he will look after his grandfather, no matter what. Unfortunately, the boy is about to discover how hard it is going to be to keep these promises to his mother. Papa is hugely reluctant to go into the forest but after a lot of pestering the boy manages to persuade him to go there so that he can fulfil part one of his mother’s wishes.
The problem is, now that Papa has arrived in the forest at his old cottage, he becomes increasingly loath to leave it again which is okay at the start as the two ensconce themselves safely within the house. The boy has always enjoyed the magical stories his papa tells him and indeed he seems to have a gift for luring the listener deep within a time where a Winter King wars against enemies of the West. It is not long however before everything slowly begins unravelling leading to the cottage being abandoned, the two living in make-shift shelters in the woods and practically starving and the stories that Papa tells becoming more frightening erring on the monstrous. The boy stops going to school and is filthy, thin and very concerned about the transformation he sees day by day in his grandfather’s character. The lines between fiction and reality become blurred and when a family with a girl called Elenya moves into the cottage it could be a desperately needed lifeline to bring the boy and his grandfather back to civilisation. Or, it could be very dangerous for them all.
This was such an intriguing novel and definitely not what I expected when I first picked it up. I loved the way in which the author used historical fiction blended in with fantasy and even at some points horror, to create a mish-mash of genres that fit so perfectly in this unique story. It’s a fairy tale yes, but a very different one and I really enjoyed the pockets of darkness that Robert Dinsdale placed within the narrative to illustrate a descent in mental health that takes the characters back to their very basic selves. I think the phrase “survival of the fittest,” definitely applies to this story and there are certain depths you think as an individual you would never stoop to but perhaps when your life is on the line, this attitude no longer holds weight and you have to fight to stay alive.
For some parts of the novel, you have to suspend your disbelief which wasn’t a problem for me personally but I can understand why some people may find it difficult or too unbelievable. In this way I thought Papa was a fantastic character and loved exploring his murky depths but my heart also bled for the boy who at the end of the day is just trying to keep his beloved mother’s last wishes and look after his grandfather. The addition of Elenya was also a nice choice, bringing new life to the story and it was interesting to follow her growing relationship with the “wild boy.” This book probably isn’t for you if you like your endings all wrapped up with a little bow and everyone living in harmony together – it’s incredibly dark and twisty and will play with your mind for days after finishing it. However if you’re a big fan of the darkness and subtle horror like me, read this book immediately (and maybe don’t go into the woods on your own).
Please see my full review on my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
April 6, 2014
A boy's dying mother takes him to live with his grandfather, his 'Papa'. When his mother dies, the boy insists the grandfather respect her wishes and take her ashes to her childhood home, deep in the Belarusian forest. There, the forest renews its claim the grandfather. He has resisted its call for decades, but he is old now, and can resist no longer.
The basic premise - The events of World War 2 and its aftermath, told as myth and fairytale by a grandfather to his grandson - was irresistible. Gingerbread promised much and delivered so much more as Papa's fairy tales darken into something far more disturbing, infinitely more horrible, much more Grimm, and the truth begins to dawn on the boy, that Papa's most terrifying tales - where men eat their friends and the trees become strong on the blood they drink - may not be just stories after all.
Papa's tales carry many lessons and morals, most importantly, those of promises and loyalty. And to whom is the Boy most loyal? He tries not to question his Papa, but finds himself torn between the life created for him by his increasingly crazy, feral grandfather, and the world of warmth and light, easy food, comfort and affection, represented by his new friend Elenya. The Boy loves his Papa and cannot forget the promise he made to his mother never to abandon the old man, but the modern world still calls, and is increasingly hard to resist.
Gingerbread is beautifully told, and so intricately woven it is sometimes hard to tell which stories are truth and which fable. The language is stunning, the story develops beautifully, unpredictably, and all is so skilful, so superbly done; if Gingerbread doesn't make its way on to a few shortlists this year, I shall be very surprised indeed.
Absolutely stunning and very highly recommended indeed.
The basic premise - The events of World War 2 and its aftermath, told as myth and fairytale by a grandfather to his grandson - was irresistible. Gingerbread promised much and delivered so much more as Papa's fairy tales darken into something far more disturbing, infinitely more horrible, much more Grimm, and the truth begins to dawn on the boy, that Papa's most terrifying tales - where men eat their friends and the trees become strong on the blood they drink - may not be just stories after all.
Papa's tales carry many lessons and morals, most importantly, those of promises and loyalty. And to whom is the Boy most loyal? He tries not to question his Papa, but finds himself torn between the life created for him by his increasingly crazy, feral grandfather, and the world of warmth and light, easy food, comfort and affection, represented by his new friend Elenya. The Boy loves his Papa and cannot forget the promise he made to his mother never to abandon the old man, but the modern world still calls, and is increasingly hard to resist.
Gingerbread is beautifully told, and so intricately woven it is sometimes hard to tell which stories are truth and which fable. The language is stunning, the story develops beautifully, unpredictably, and all is so skilful, so superbly done; if Gingerbread doesn't make its way on to a few shortlists this year, I shall be very surprised indeed.
Absolutely stunning and very highly recommended indeed.
April 8, 2014
Gingerbread is an exquisitely written book. It weaves WW2 history, tragedy, the ancient forests of Belarus and (multiple) fairy tale echoes into a slow, beguiling experience. I haven't read other books by this author but from synopses, this seems to represent a successful shift in style. And yet. It took me a while to pin down exactly what I didn't like. The central character, a boy whose name we learn only late in the narrative, is brought by his mother to his grandfather's tenement because she is dying. Her last wish is for her ashes to be scattered by the cottage in the woods where they lived when she was small.
Mother dies.
Grandfather takes the boy to the woods.
But after scattering his daughter's ashes, Grandpa doesn't wish to return to civilisation.
Grandpa begins to turn, slowly into the wolf (clever) becoming an indestructible creature of nightmare and horror films, surviving exposure and compound fractures and preventing his grandson from returning to the city and school.
All of this requires some suspension of disbelief, which is fine. But the boy through whose eyes we see this happening is not a real child. He doesn't scream or cry or throw tantrums. He survives near death a number of times, brought back to life by Mama appearing in his dreams. He loves Mama and crazy psycho Grandpa and the pretty little blonde girl whose father rebuilds the cottage in the woods but has no discernible attributes of a real child. Compared, for example, to fairy-tale influenced dark tales written for children (say A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Gingerbread by Anne Ursu) the boy is a cipher who functions as a child figure in films for adults: an innocent around whom the world unravels. To me this incomplete characterisation was problematic, not least because it felt like it did the boy and the loss of his mother a disservice.
Mother dies.
Grandfather takes the boy to the woods.
But after scattering his daughter's ashes, Grandpa doesn't wish to return to civilisation.
Grandpa begins to turn, slowly into the wolf (clever) becoming an indestructible creature of nightmare and horror films, surviving exposure and compound fractures and preventing his grandson from returning to the city and school.
All of this requires some suspension of disbelief, which is fine. But the boy through whose eyes we see this happening is not a real child. He doesn't scream or cry or throw tantrums. He survives near death a number of times, brought back to life by Mama appearing in his dreams. He loves Mama and crazy psycho Grandpa and the pretty little blonde girl whose father rebuilds the cottage in the woods but has no discernible attributes of a real child. Compared, for example, to fairy-tale influenced dark tales written for children (say A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Gingerbread by Anne Ursu) the boy is a cipher who functions as a child figure in films for adults: an innocent around whom the world unravels. To me this incomplete characterisation was problematic, not least because it felt like it did the boy and the loss of his mother a disservice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2014
Reading this, i was immediately caught in wonderful details that really place you in the body and mind of The Boy. Starting on a tragedy, the story wanders into fairytale territory, then ramps up in tension as it ventures into increasingly dark terrain.
The Grandfather was an awesome creation - at once reassuring and frightening, and the question mark over his 'real' nature - and the truth behind the fairytales he spins for the boy - kept me tense until the end of the book and beyond.
There's a bit of Cormack McCarthy's The Road, Elie Weisel's Night, even a bit of Pan's Labyrinth - but Gingerbread has a sensitive mix of sadness, tenderness, childhood adventure and horror that i'd struggle to compare closely to anything else i've read. Highly recommended.
The Grandfather was an awesome creation - at once reassuring and frightening, and the question mark over his 'real' nature - and the truth behind the fairytales he spins for the boy - kept me tense until the end of the book and beyond.
There's a bit of Cormack McCarthy's The Road, Elie Weisel's Night, even a bit of Pan's Labyrinth - but Gingerbread has a sensitive mix of sadness, tenderness, childhood adventure and horror that i'd struggle to compare closely to anything else i've read. Highly recommended.
August 3, 2014
An enjoyable read, this one. I love how it is dark and cold -- you can almost feel the winter on your fingertips and the forest under your feet. The characters are believable and you root for them, their individual peculiarities: the boy for his innocence and being caught between keeping a promise and doing what's right; Elenya for her strength, and even Papa, who is consumed by the wild.
The ending came as no surprise, but that didn't stop me from being sucked into the narrative, in much the same way the boy and Papa are drawn to the forest.
The ending came as no surprise, but that didn't stop me from being sucked into the narrative, in much the same way the boy and Papa are drawn to the forest.
July 20, 2014
Now here's a book that surprises. In some ways heartwarming, in others horrifying, it gives an insight into a part of the world little known to many of us, but more into the long-term affect of war and abuse on the mind, the love and loyalty of children to their elders, and how legends are born. I found it disturbing, interesting and though-provoking, all-in-all a good books to read
Received free through GoodReads giveaways
May 12, 2015
I won this book in a Goodreads competition.
It was not at all what I was expecting. Others here have covered what the story is about so I won't repeat it.
It is a cleverly written book. I was moved in the beginning and horrified by the end.
It really isn't my sort of book but I can appreciate how well written it is.
In parts it is really creepy and made me feel quite uncomfortable. I'm pretty sure I won't forget the story anytime soon.
It was not at all what I was expecting. Others here have covered what the story is about so I won't repeat it.
It is a cleverly written book. I was moved in the beginning and horrified by the end.
It really isn't my sort of book but I can appreciate how well written it is.
In parts it is really creepy and made me feel quite uncomfortable. I'm pretty sure I won't forget the story anytime soon.
June 30, 2018
The images Dinsdale creates in this book are second to none. He uses language outstandingly creating an image in my mind's eye and then with, what appears no effort, managed to bring the image into high definition focus, as if the event, movement or emotion is happening in front of me. I am still mulling over the plot and its effect on me, but it was compelling. I loved how fairytale, history and the boy's stories were intertwined, in the telling and in the plot.
November 27, 2017
a powerful story about family truth and memory and how we come to terms with what we know, what we think we know, and what we want to remember... loved how the author intermingled all the different myths and fables and personages and creatures from these tales... the ending got a bit drawn out, which detracted a bit from the pacing, but i LOVED the ending pages... perfect.
March 15, 2014
What a great book that I couldn't put down. I felt the cold and snow in the woods of Belarus following the story of Alek and his grandfather. It will stay with me a long time.
March 17, 2014
Magical. If you are looking for a grown up take on fairy tales this is the one for you. Dark, earthy full of imagery. Be persistent as it can ramble on but well worth sticking to.
May 20, 2014
A gripping and moving folk/realistic story - loved it.
May 26, 2016
That book was one big, long, glorious shiver up my spine. Thank you Juliet Marillier for the rec!
February 5, 2022
“It must have been very frightening, to live so wild,” whispers the boy. “Oh,” says Grandfather, “it was frightening, but it wasn’t because of the wild out there. It was the wild…in here.” He folds his wizened hands around the boy’s and presses the bundle of fingers to the boy’s breast, above his heart beating like an injured bird. “Is it true?” asks the boy. “Oh,” says Grandfather, with the deepest exhalation. “I know it is true, for one was there who told me of it.”
TITLE—Gingerbread
AUTHOR—Robert Dinsdale
PUBLISHED—2014
GENRE—folk horror; #WholesomeHorror
SETTING—Belarus, 1960s?
MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—Eastern European history, the forest, fairy & folk tales, oral storytelling traditions vs. “history”, family, WW II, community vs solitary living styles, grief, trauma, the sanctity, power & danger of Nature
WRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CHARACTERS—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STORY/PLOT—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
BONUS ELEMENT/S—Really really creepy/unsettling folk horror story with a lot of really excellent fairytale themes and tropes.
PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Folk tales are just another way of telling history. They come from before the time when there was writing and books. Just families, in houses like this, staring into that outer dark and telling tales about what happened out there.” “But there were still forests,” whispers the boy. “And always will be,” he replies.”
This book was just a lot darker than I was really expecting it to be… 🙈 and it just kept getting darker and darker as you go along and the story never goes where you think it’s going to go and I was super stressed waiting for something *REALLY* bad to happen even though I also felt like this was supposed to be one of those #WholesomeHorror stories… So I guess a lot of really really good creepy tension… I’m not a big thriller/horror reader unless it’s fairy tale related so I’m just not used to that and it gave me a migraine but yeah. 😅
BUT in the end, I loved everything about this book and all of the choices the author makes. I don’t want to say too much because being able to really absorb the tension of this book is I think key to getting the best reading experience out of it.
This book was quite clever both in its execution of a truly unsettling folk horror tale as well as a sort of play off of fairytale tropes and themes surrounding forests. I loved the exploration of what makes a person human versus a feral creature of the forest and what that suggests philosophically and ethically speaking *and* that there was really no clear or simple answer by the end of the book but an emphasis on the complexity of human nature and the importance for finding that balance between survival and comfort, community and independence, and “technology” and the Natural world for one’s self. Also! What makes a family? Another theme that was explored and left open to the reader’s interpretation which I loved.
The writing style itself seemed to communicate these themes as well: at times feeling simplistic, at times disjointed—the use of fairytale like repetition was excellently handled—and at other times stunningly beautiful and poignant—but still very subtle! While reading the book I’m not sure that I was ever like “oh my god I’m obsessed, this is definitely going to be a five star read for me”… it wasn’t until after I’d finished the book and thought about it for a day that I decided that it was in fact incredible and would definitely be one of my alltime favorites. A mark of a truly great book, imo. This will definitely be a book I reread yearly during the Dark Season and winter holidays!
(Random detail: this is the second book in a *row* that I’ve read where a young girl bathes her inordinately strange, new boy companion… 😂)
“…for the forest stretches until the very end of the earth and, if you follow its paths, you can never come back home… The woods are wide and the woods are wild, and the woods are the world forever and ever.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TW // cancer, death of parent, poverty, animal death (incl. a dog!), gore, body horror, cannibalism, other scary stuff haha 🙈😅 (Please feel free to DM me for more specifics!)
Further Reading—
- Starve Acre, by Andrew Michael Hurley
- In the House in the Dark of the Woods, by Laird Hunt
- A Wild Winter Swan, by Gregory Maguire
- Krampus: The Yule Lord, by BROM
- The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper
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