Matchless: An Illumination of Hans Christian Andersen's Classic "The Little Match Girl" (Paperback)
Email or call for price
November 2009 Indie Next List
“This 're-illumination' of the Hans Christian Andersen tale 'The Little Match Girl' was originally commissioned by and performed on NPR by the Maguire himself. Accompanied by Maguire's line drawings, this story is told in his inimitable style, and his fans will love it.”
— Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO
Description
With Matchless, Gregory Maguire has reinvented the Hans Christian Andersen classic The Little Match Girl for a new time and new audiences. Originally asked by National Public Radio to write an original story with a Christmas theme, the New York Times bestselling author of Wicked and A Lion Among Men was once again inspired by the fairy tales we all loved in childhood—and he composed a poignant and enchanting tale of transcendence. A lovely and beautifully illustrated gift, Matchless places Andersen’s pitiful waif in the august company of Maguire’s previously re-imagined Snow White (Mirror, Mirror), Cinderella (Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister), and, of course, the Wicked Witch and other denizens of Oz.
About the Author
Gregory Maguire is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked—the beloved classic that is the basis for the blockbuster Tony Award–winning Broadway musical of the same name and the major motion picture—Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. His series Another Day continues the story of Oz with The Brides of Maracoor, The Oracle of Maracoor, and The Witch of Maracoor, and his other novels include A Wild Winter Swan, Hiddensee, After Alice, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, and Mirror Mirror. He lives in New England and France.
Praise For…
An Indie Next List Notable — IndieBound
“The little match girl’s story is now getting its due thanks to novelist Gregory Maguire of ‘Wicked’ fame…. Matchless glows with aching beauty.” — Huntsville Times
“Maguire’s story has the weight and solidity of a treasured folk tale, something to be handed down and retold.” — Ellen Trachtenberg, author of The Best Children’s Literature: A Parent’s Guide