Midnight In Everwood was the debut novel by M.A Kuzniar, published in 2021.
The story is a fantastical retelling of the classic tale The Nutcracker. I’m a lover of all things festive so I was excited to read this one.
It seemed it was going to the perfect blend of historical fiction, fantasy and Christmas.
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Plot
The story is set in Nottingham during the early 20th century. The Edwardian era wasn’t always the kindest for young women who want to make their own choices, as Marietta Stelle soon finds out. All Marietta wants to do is dance but her family have other ideas. It is currently approaching Christmas, but in the new year, she will be obliged to marry and take her place in society.
With her heart firmly set on being a professional ballerina, Marietta refuses to accept any man her family presents to her. When the mysterious Dr Drosselmeier comes into her life, he brings a magic she has never seen before. He is a skilful toymaker and keen to win Marietta’s hand.
He promises to construct an elaborate theatrical set for her final ballet performance. Marietta accepts, not knowing the set will carry a magic all of its own. Through the set Marietta finds herself walking through an unknown land, full of magic and confectionery. The land is full of temptation but Marietta soon realises she must try and find a way back home as nothing in Everwood is quite as it seems.
Midnight in Everwood Book Review
The author lives in Nottingham (where the novel is set) and is a huge lover of ballet. Her local knowledge and passion for dance clearly shines through in her writing. There are a lot of technical ballet terms that I wasn’t familiar with but I don’t think you needed to know the exact movements to appreciate Marietta’s love for ballet.
Marietta was a frustrating character at times but I did warm to her as the novel progressed. I appreciated her acknowledging her own privilege as she realised how other people less fortunate than her were having to live.
I loved the feminism featured throughout the novel, from the talk of suffragettes to the friendships between the female characters. It was inspiring how each of the female characters were determined to take charge of their own destiny in a time when a woman’s future was usually decided for her.
I did find the story a little slow in places, and a little repetitive. The poetic descriptions became a bit much at times, and while I do enjoy lyrical prose and vivid descriptions, I did find myself keen to get to the action.
The romance also left me a little cold. I feel it was a bit rushed and I would have preferred more development on the relationship, and fewer descriptions of confectionery.
The story had everything including villains, magic, romance and dance but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I liked it, I just didn’t love it. However it is a debut novel and if there was a sequel to this book, I would still read it.
What to read next
If you enjoyed Midnight in Everwood, I’d definitely recommend reading M.A. Kuzniar’s second novel Upon a Frosted Star which is inspired by Swan Lake.
I would also recommend The Winter Garden by Alexandra Bell and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern as I definitely think they had a similar feel to them.
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