When a boy is turned into an ugly nutcracker, Marie is his only key to freedom. He, in turn, holds the key to her heart. Margrete Lamond s retelling of Hoffman s classic tale reduces the rambling original to its essentials, while satisfying the modern taste for strong emotion-based storylines. Ritva Voutila s paintings bring the magic, wonder and terror of childhood imagination to life, and set the action against a lavish Victorian backdrop that both enthralls and reassures the reader."