Published by Simon & Schuster on September 24, 2019

This is only the second Alice Hoffman novel that I have read and I now realize that I am not her target audience. I am sure that audience will appreciate The World that We Knew more than I did. The novel is grounded in the superstition of religion, set in a world that humans share with unseen angels, where to speak the secret names of God causes lips to burn. Stories that depend on religious mythology might be more meaningful to readers who embrace religion than to readers who view mythology in fiction as a subset of fantasy. With few exceptions, I prefer the kind of fantasy that builds a separate world, one that stands apart from reality. The World that We Knew is an uncomfortable mix of the real and the supernatural. I suppose the book might be seen as magical realism, blending reality and fantasy to invite the reader to find beauty in the midst of ugliness, but if the beauty isn’t real, the invitation only emphasizes the ugly horror of reality.

In 1941, after killing a German soldier to save her daughter Lea from rape, Hanni Kohn decides to send Lea away from the growing threat to Berlin’s Jewish population. An elderly neighbor advises Hanni to visit a rabbi and ask him to make a golem to protect her daughter. The rabbi’s wife will not allow Hanni to speak to the rabbi, but the rabbi’s daughter knows the secret to golem creation and is willing to be bribed.

The golem is fashioned as a woman and given the name Ana. She is grateful to her maker for the chance to be in the world, but her devotion is to Lea. Tradition requires a golem to be destroyed before it becomes too powerful, but Ana loves being alive and at a later point in the story, contemplates running away. The prevailing belief is that Ana has no soul since she was not made by God. Killing a self-aware being who is otherwise indistinguishable from a human is not supposed to be morally troubling, at least to people who believe that the soul has an independent, God-made existence. I give credit to Hoffman for exploring that question (as science fiction writers have long done, and in greater depth), asking whether every living thing might have a soul. A character who considers dogs and doves simplistically concludes that “if you could love someone, you possessed a soul.” I would have been happy to see the philosophical golem behave selfishly by yielding to her instinct for self-preservation (selfishness, Hoffman tells us, is the first human trait a golem acquires), but like every other character in the novel, the golem’s actions are predictable.

Ana and Lea depart on a train, watching other Jewish women meet the Angel of Death as they try to escape from Germany. The story branches out at that point to follow both Lea, who is sheltered by various people in France in between hair-raising escapes, and the rabbi’s daughter Ettie, who abandons Orthodox teachings and adopts a new persona in a French village with the laudable but improbable goal of joining the Resistance and exacting revenge against the Nazis.

Lea and Ana crash the home of Lea’s distant cousin just as their maid, Marianne Félix, abandons the family in the belief that they do not “understand their slow disenfranchisement and the erosion of their rights.” Marianne returns to her family in the countryside near Lyon and eventually helps the Resistance. Hers is another branch of the story, joined with the story of a resistance fighter named Victor. A final branch is a love story involving Ana and Victor’s brother Julien, who find an unlikely way to tell each other to stay alive even after they are separated.

Holocaust stories are important, but they have often been told. Except for the addition of a golem and other elements of magic, and apart from Hoffman’s graceful prose, this one does little to distinguish itself from similar stories. In fact, the Holocaust is largely relegated to the background. I understand that writers rely on the supernatural to illuminate the natural world (even when the world becomes as unnatural as it did during the Second World War), but I can’t say that I am a fan of that device here. The golem, the glowing angels that occasionally surround her, and the birds that do her bidding transform a story of gritty realism into a tale that might be found in a comic book.

The relationship between Lea and her mother-surrogate golem struck me as hokey, although other readers might find it touching. The two love stories, one tragic and the other not, are predictable. Ettie’s storyline is both predictable and too improbable to accept, even in a story that includes a golem who speaks birdsong. The novel’s final chapters rely on a string of coincidences to bring characters together. In the end, the novel isn’t even true to the mythology upon which it builds. Hoffman changes the nature of the golem to make a point about what it means to be human, but I don’t know that it makes sense to both accept and reject a myth.

The Angel of Death, the golem, the ability to foretell the future, chatting with birds, fortuitous coincidences, all in jarring contrast with the harsh reality of the Holocaust, didn’t juxtapose well for me. Layer that with trite pop song pronouncements about the power of love, and it was all just too much. Hoffman’s prose is beautiful, to be sure, and the story will certainly appeal to fans of romance fiction who have the ability to suspend their disbelief that a magical world could coexist with the greatest evil of the twentieth century, but I’m not that reader. I therefore recommend the novel only to fans of romance fiction and magic, and only then because of the strength of the prose.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

Alice Hoffman’s, “The World That We Knew” is powerful story filled with magical energy, heartfelt love & hope in the face of evil. The World that We Knew had my attention throughout the book, I would look forward to grabbing moments to read. I recommend reading this wonderful book. Each character’s development, I thoroughly enjoyed, Hanni for her love, courage to protect her daughter Lea. The young yet powerful wisdom of Ettie, Ava’s strength, the clarity of Ava for her ability to feel emotions in a beautiful yet evil world. Many heart throbbing emotions while reading, it has been years since I found a book so exciting. Ms. Hoffman’s cast of characters, Hanni, Lea, Ettie, Maureen, Victor, Julien, Madeleine each unique and profound. Alice Hoffman’s “The World That We Knew” sets the bar for me at the top of my list for 2019.

Despite the current glut of WWII historical fiction, Alice Hoffman's new book is a must read. Hoffman's use of magical realism tackles the story of the holocaust and all its atrocities in a new way. This is a story about love and sacrifice, and about the human desire for survival despite all else. Beautiful prose along with strong and well developed characters will keep the reader enthralled until the last sentence. I wonderful addition to any library and a great book for book clubs.

During a time of war, what lengths would you go to in order to save your only daughter from the evil that lies ahead? Hanni knew and understood her fate but she was bound and determined to save her daughter, Lea. Alongside the child of a respected rabbi...the two conjure up a golem whose soul purpose was to guide Lea to safety. This would lead them on a tumultuous journey to a house of a distant relative to a convent where other Jewish children were being kept hidden to a house known as the beehive house.

Interwoven throughout Ava and Leas journey, we meet Julien and his brother Victor who join up with the resistance. Marianne, who escorts dozens of Jewish children to safety and Ettie, who helped create the golem and joins the resistance to avenge the death of her sister by the Germans.

These individuals are all unknowingly connected to each other trying to save the innocent and fight against evil. I love how the golem was created to keep Lea safe. Technically that was her sole purpose but she learned about love and life while she Lea to safety.

An extremely emotional and heartbreaking journey but a beautiful story nonetheless. I learned a great deal about the Jewish religion and some of the factual historical moments in the story. I gave it a four out of five, simply because I got a bit lost in the very beginning and had to read it a couple of times to understand what I was reading. Other than that...it was a beautiful story I won’t soon forget.

This is my first book by Alice Hoffman and it won't be the last! It
was simply amazing! I loved everything about it. I loved the
characters. It is an amazing story. It's everything it's promised
to be and more!

Thank you so much, Alice Hoffman, the publisher, and NetGalley for
giving me the chance to read and review this book! I may want to read
it again at some point.

Captivating from the beginning The World that We Knew includes an element of Jewish mysticism, setting it apart from the many, many World War 2 books that are currently on the market. The book takes place primarily in the rural regions of France.. Without the cities, the reader is forced to slow down and watch the individual people and the bigger picture surrounding each set of events. This is simply a good read, one I will be recommending often.

Alice Hoffman's sparkling prose and immersive descriptions of place summon readers into
World War II. Chapters are place- and time-marked from 1941-1944, to guide readers through
a suspenseful journey. Told by an omniscient narrator, the novel begins in Berlin, 1941, and
moves to France, where Nazis control most of the territory including Paris. Typical of stories set during wartime, there is much death. Yet, the novel also flows with lyrical imagery, and flashes of magical realism are
common. A few supporting characters—the Angel of Death, a heron, and a golem—reveal
explicit magical powers, while each main character displays what I call "ordinary-super powers,"
exhibiting traits such as bravery under trying circumstances. As the plot unfolds Hoffman
chronicles many forms of resistance and develops a vivid cast of characters, most of them
teens; they are often separated, but reconnect in unexpected, memorable ways.
Despite the wartime sorrow and family separations, the beauty of Hoffman's prose and themes deliver a sense of hope.

Even if humanity continues to engage in war and atrocity, the novel suggests, perhaps art, stories, and love can endure. There are parallels between the protagonists' bravery and today's wave of teen activism, for example,
those committed to #UnitedWeDream or #MarchForOurLives and other global movements.
Juxtaposing historical fact with a well-crafted story, The World That We Knew is sure to appeal
to readers new to Alice Hoffman's work as well as her longtime fans.

"...for what good is it to rescue yourself if you leave behind the person you love the most?"

I don't think that I can do justice to this beautifully written tale of love, family, faith, resistance, longing, grief, pain, sacrifice, duty, and what it means to be alive. Hoffman's writing is heartbreaking beautifully, sad, hopeful and joyful at times during this novel- but mainly it's dripping with a sadness so deep it leaps from the pages and affects the reader (at least it affected this reader). She also utilizes Jewish folklore/mysticism and has a Golem as a main character as well. Speaking of characters in this book, there are many in this book whose paths cross, their stories are unique and yet their individual stories have the same theme - loss of family, loss of a parent or parents, loss of a sibling, loss of freedom, and a loss of one's home.

."Heart of my heart, love of my life, the one loss I will never survive."

In the beginning of the book, a Mother, Hanni Kohn, seeks out a Rabbi hopping to save her twelve-year-old daughter, Lea. She does not meet with the Rabbi that night, but instead meets with his daughter, Ettie, who has listened to her father for years, and creates a Golem she names Ava who is sworn to protect Lea.

"When you have lost your mother you have lost the world."

Hanni sends her daughter away with Ava, choosing to stay behind with her Mother who is too ill to flee. Ave and Lea are not the only ones who flee, Ettie and her younger sister flee as well, fearing the Nazi regime and the dangers or the time. Both sets must leave their Mother's behind in hopes of saving their own lives.

"Heart of my heart, love of my life, the one loss I will never survive."

The young girls/women in this book are not the only characters, there are two brothers, Victor and Julien, who have lost members of their families as well. They are trying to survive in a world where they are unwanted, branded criminals, hunted, and turned away by those they once called friends.

"...people always lost what they loved the most."

All paths collide in this heartbreaking tale of cruelty, hatred, evil, courage and love. Evil exists in this book as does goodness. There are characters whose kindness and beauty shine through, who will sacrifice all that they have to give in order to save those condemned by the Nazis. Those who saved lives in their own quiet way, those who did anything and everything they could to prevent evil from prevailing, who aided the resistance, who saved as many men, women and children as they could.

"Remember when I loved you above all others and you loved me in return."

The relationships in this book are wonderful, the imagery dances off the page just as Ava danced with the heron at night. There is something magical going on here. Hoffman has a gift with words and has created a masterpiece. She has created a story with characters having deep and meaningful relationships, having impact on each other and themselves, all the while fighting for their lives, the lives of others and for the chance to be together once again.

"Find me before I disappear."

Hoffman had me from page one, heck she had me at the note in the beginning before the book started. I found this book to be captivating, heartbreaking, hard to put down, thought provoking and moving. She wrote so many beautiful passages, I had to include my favorites in this review.

Highly Recommend.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alice Hoffman's latest novel is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The story is both beautiiful and tragic. Alice Hoffman describes the violent horror of World War 11 and the persecution of the Jewish population. The story though fiction is based on real life experiences and describes in detail the fears of the Jewish population as they attempt to escape arrest and death by the Nazis. They lived in terror and were surrounded by death but somehow managed to survive and find love.

Thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and Alice Hoffman.
Alice Hoffman has once again written a novel that mixes reality with magical elements and brings unforgettable characters to life. The World That We Knew centers around the tragedy of WWII in Germany with Jewish characters fleeing to survive while others in the resistance fight against the Nazis. The characters are woven though the story, connected in ways but not always together. It’s an amazing story of love, sacrifice, and loss – a story so deep that you will be touched by it long after you put the book down. Do not miss out on this novel – highly recommended!

I almost didn't read The World That We Knew since I feel though there are countless books about the Holocaust and they follow a similar format. Wow was I wrong! This book is A MUST READ.

I've only previously read Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, both in the same universe so-to-speak, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with this one. I was so pleased to see her beautiful writing come through again. I thought she brought such a unique perspective to a WWII novel that was really different than any other WWII novel I've read — in a very good way!

I wasn’t sure I wanted to read yet another WW2 book. But I plunged in and was immediately caught up in how the mysticism was woven into the story. All books about the war are heartrending, this one is no exception. But the magical elements make the story beautiful too. An amazing book.

In The World That We Knew, author Alice Hoffman brings her unique infusion of magic and nature to a store of survival during the worst of times. Starting in Berlin in 1941, the story introduces us to Hanni and her young daughter Lea. Hanni knows it's only a matter of time until they're captured and sent to a death camp like the rest of the Jews around them. Desperate to save Lea, Hanni begs for a miracle from the rabbi known to have mystical abilities, but instead, his daughter Ettie offers help in exchange for an escape opportunity for her and her younger sister.

Etti, having listened outside her father's door for years, has herself grown wise in the art of Jewish mysticism, and uses her knowledge to create a golem -- a powerful creature made from clay shaped into human form and brought to life through secret rituals, whose entire purpose is to protect Lea. Hanni can't escape with her elderly, disabled mother, nor can she leave her behind, so she sends Lea away in care of Ava the golem, to seek what safety might be available to them in France.

France isn't exactly safe for Jews either. Finding refuge with the Levi family, and joined by Etti, Lea and Ava are still at risk, and finally make their escape before their new shelter is raided by Nazis -- but first, Lea forms a connection with the young son of the Levi family, Julien. Lea and Julien make only one demand of one another: stay alive.

From here, the story spirals out in multiple directions. We follow Lea and Ava from one temporary haven to another, including a remote convent where the nuns shelter the children who come to them, at risk of their own lives. We follow Etti into the forests as she seeks and then finds the resistance, desiring only vengeance. We follow Julien on his own path toward escape, refuge, and meaning. For each, and for the other characters we meet, there are dangers around every corner -- and yet, there is also the opportunity to help others, to find meaning even in the middle of horror and tragedy.

The writing in The World That We Knew is just gorgeous. The author evokes the glory of the natural world, even as the people in it carry out horrific deeds and leave destruction in their wake. There's magic all around, both in the form of Ava, the golem who starts as a mere bodyguard but finds her own personhood as time goes on, and in the flowers, bees, and birds that surround our characters and interact with them in unexpected ways.

The characters are lovely and memorable. I especially loved Ava, but it's also wonderful and awful to see Lea grow up during war, having lost eveyrthing, but still clinging to her mother's love and her connection to Julien. But really, I can't just single these two out. There are side characters who come into the story briefly, whose stories we come to know before they exit once more, and their stories have power as well. In some ways, it feels as though the author has painted a picture through her writing of all the lost potential represented by the millions murdered during this terrible time.

And yet, the book is not without hope. Despite the tragedies, there's still goodness, the possibility of a future, and the possibility of meaning:

I don't think I can really do justice to how special and beautiful this book is. The writing is superb, and the story leaves an indelible impression. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars

A far-reaching and culturally impactful story. This was my first Alice Hoffman read and now I can't wait to read "Practical Magic!" What impressed me was the way Hoffman gave each main character a multi-layered indentity that spanned years and miles. For example, in the instance of Madeleine, my favorite character, the reader got to see her childhood, youth and eventual role as a mother of a safe home for Jewish girls. It was remarkable to see such a strong person grow into a powerful and complex woman.

It's a profound reflection on the cost of living while others die; especially for Julien, who feels guilty that he survived the Holocaust while others didn't. But he realizes that his life is worth just as much as anyone's and that he deserves to be happy. The reader realizes this along with him. What's interesting about reading this book over the course of several days is that the reader feels they are journeying alongside the characters. Each day, with each new chapter, you move through life with them. The progression of time is done so beautifully.

I had to read the ending several times to make sure I didn't miss anything. Since this is a story with so many main characters it helps to reread some chapters. At the end, I was unsure of what happened to Ava until I read it a second time. I was overall satisfied with how her story ended/began. Ava was the first character in this book that I grew to love because I'm a sucker for a good "Frankenstein" retelling. That's what this book essentially was, but this time I felt the Frankenstein monster character got a fair ending.

The reason I didn't rate this lovely story with 4 stars is because Jewish mythology isn't something I usually read and the ending was too bittersweet. Individually, I liked the characters' endings but not the ending overall. It didn't fit with the rest of the story and the death that did come made so many characters unhappy. There was too much sadness to make the ending feel worthwhile.

Rating: 5 wondrous stars

I finished this amazing book a few days ago, and just wanted to sit in the afterglow of the story before trying to put my feelings about the book into a review. This book tackles a horrible era in world history with grace and imagination. It’s not a ‘La-La-La Happy All the Way’ story. In fact, it’s pretty bleak all the way. However, it is such a wonderfully creative book. I was pulled deeper into its depths with each page, and left stunned by the beauty of the book by the ending. With ‘The World That We Knew’, Alice Hoffman has written a modern classic.

I’ve read many non-fiction and historical fiction books about WWII and the Holocaust. This one is so unique. Ms. Hoffman blends Jewish traditions with magical realism to bring forth a golem at the beginning of the story. I was skeptical when I read this element on the book blurb, but this character works so well in the book. I’m glad that it was included. I grew to love Ava as much as each of the other characters. She was not at all what I was expecting a golem to be.

We initially meet Hanni Kohn and her 12-year-old daughter Lea as they are trying to survive in a Berlin, Germany that is becoming ever more dangerous for Jews. Hanni will do anything to protect her daughter, including imploring help from the rabbi’s daughter, Ettie to form a creature meant to protect Lea on her journey out of Berlin. The creature, Ava’s sole purpose to protect Lea until the end of the war.

We are then taken along on Lea and Ava journey. Not coincidentally, Ettie and her sister are on the same train leaving Berlin that Ava and Lea are on. From that train journey the stories diverge and intertwine again. New characters and situations are added that illuminate the growing carnage wrought by the Nazi’s in France and across Europe. The complete randomness of who survives and who doesn’t is explored. We also meet brave souls who risk it all as Resistance fighters. We see good citizens who help the Jews escape, and Germans who luxuriate in their power and cruelty.

That’s all of the plot outline that I’m going to provide. Please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book as soon as you can. It’s a love story, it’s a war story, it’s a fantasy in some parts, but it all works so well together. I’m standing up now to applaud Alice Hoffman. Well done!

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Simon & Schuster; and the author, Alice Hoffman, for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another historical novel set during World War II. This seems to be a popular genre right now. This author is consistently good at what she does which is integrating Jewish characters into her stories. At first I thought I would be overwhelmed with that aspect, but the introduction of the golem and the heron made this an interesting take on the usual book of this type.

So to be honest I did struggle with this book, I am bot necessarily a fan of historical fiction,
But to assist me with this the story line was , about relationships. Many characters whose lives intersect in different ways populate the book and those overlapping connections were what I most enjoyed.

There have been countless books written about the time of WWII and the Holocaust but this one is unlike any of them. Hoffman's lyrical writing is beautiful as always and the characters are vivid and well-defined. I'm not especially a fan of magical realism and though many will find this aspect to be their favorite part of the book, it wasn't really mine. There's no denying this was a wonderful book and it was very innovative to apply a magical slant to a time of such horror. It wasn't my favorite Hoffman book but I commend her for always broadening her talent.

1941, Berlin. The streets are swarming with Nazi’s. Hanni’s husband, the good doctor has been murdered and her mother is very ill. Even though it breaks her heart Hanni must send her daughter Lea away. Only 12 years old, Hanni wants to keep Lea safe and far away from the nightmare that has invaded their world. She secretly engages Ettie, the Rabbi’s daughter, to use her forbidden knowledge and create a golem to protect Lea during her travels. This mystical creature of Jewish folklore looks human but has no soul, she is as strong as one hundred men. Throughout their escape to France and the three years afterwards, Ava faithfully guards Lea’s life. From the convents that hid Jewish children to the brave French Resistance that led them through the mountains to Switzerland, countless hero’s saved thousands of lives. This magical story filled with dancing birds carrying messages of hope and the angel of death eerily filling his notebook will take you to a fairytale version of a very real atrocity, remembering the many who tragically disappeared and the few who survived. Author Alice Hoffman is the extraordinary talent to bring this story to life.