A]lice Hoffman's "The World That We Knew" inserts a creature of fantasy, a golem, into a heartbreaking Holocaust tale that opens in 1941 Berlin.

To safeguard her 12-year-old daughter Lea from the Nazis, Hanni pays for the creation of a golem, Ava, to accompany and protect her as they travel through Germany to France.

This brilliant novel is both a coming of age and a coming into humanity in a world that seems devoid of the latter.

I’ve read so many books about the Holocaust that I swore I would not read another because each one tears my heart to pieces. I went to a Jewish high school and learned Hebrew prayers which I still say even to this day because they are so beautiful (I can even sing the Israeli National Anthem !} so I feel a great affinity to the Jewish people and all they have suffered.
The author’s writing is beautiful as is her storytelling. She describes the horrors of families being taken away to concentration camps from France and Berlin but she also tells of the people who risked their lives to save thousands of children to become “the next generation”. The story would not have been the same without the mystical creation of a golem named Ava who was made to protect one of the characters. And what a wonderful beautiful fairytale like element she brings to this story. This was a captivating tale of horror and death and survival but most of all love. Thank you Ms. Hoffman.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Nazis are in power. The Jews of Berlin know it is only aa matter of time before Hitler kills them all. Hanni Kohn knows, she must do something to save her daughter. She herself can not flee, as her mother is bed ridden, too frail for that journey. Desperation leads her to the most experienced rabbi in the realm of Jewish supernatural/ Kabbalistic teachings, in her quest to create a "Golem", a being that is almost human, but, has super powers. Although the Golem can not replicate the love of a mother for her daughter, it will do anything and everything its master requests of it, almost replicating the way a mother will do anything to save her daughter, her own flesh and blood. The only catch is, that a golem gains strength the longer it exists, and at one point it must be terminated, as it becomes a danger to those who created it.

This is the heartbreaking tale of Lea Kohn, who escapes Berlin, together with her "cousin" Ava, the golem, Ettie, the rabbi's daughter who created the golem, and Marianne, who comes into the story once Lea arrives in Paris. The story revolves around the atrocities of the Nazis in Paris, and Hoffman provides all the facts. Although Ava the golem is not human, she begins to understand the human condition as she witnesses the events of the war that are unfolding around her. Ava lets us into the world of the supernatural, a magical world, an area that Hoffman knows very well. And Lea, Ettie, Marianne (and Ava), learn about love, and what people who love each other, will do.

This is Hoffman's unique application of her creative and imaginary skills to the history of WW2. There is a lot of detail not only about the creation of the golem, but also, a lot about Jewish customs and prayers and also, about the war in France, so, the book has many different levels. But, I believe, it is Ava's story, based in the world of the supernatural, that will steal your heart. Thank you #netgalley for the opportunity to read an early edition of #theworldthatweknew. Publishing date 09/24.

In 1941, a mother will do anything to keep her child alive. Alice Hoffman's. The World That We Knew, tells the story of that love and the lengths it will go to protect those that you love. I enjoyed the touch of magic in this historical fiction novel. It was well written and great character development.

*Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

In 1940s Berlin, Hanni Kohn knows that she has to send her twelve-year-old daughter Lea to safety. She hears of a rabbi who can create a mstical creature called a golem, and his daughter Ettie helps her to create Ava, whose sole purpose is to keep Lea safe. So Ettie, Lea and Ava embark on a journey to Paris, to some distant family of Lea's mother. Ettie gets deeply involved in the resistance, Lea grows up in a world at war and Ava stays by her side through it all.

This is one of the better WWII books I've read. Original, because of the golem, a touch of magical realism in historical fiction. The cast of characters - Ettie, Lea and Ava, but also some we meet along the way who become just as important - are all fascinating and each have their own stories told.

And the ending is very touching. There is really no way to see how it's going to go at the end, and how it was done was lovely.

I got this book from NetGalley and I warmly recommend it to all fans of historical fiction when it come out later this month.

Such a deeply satisfying read!
Set during the Nazi occupation of France during WWII, Alice Hoffman's superb novel goes to the top of my list of others I have read of this genre. Why? Each key character will profoundly wind its way into your heart! Ms. Hoffman's prose will cause you to cry, despair, mourn, hate, grow, hope, rejoice, love, live and die with them. For me, a standout feature is the inclusion of a touch of magical fantasy, which at first puzzled me. but grew to fully enjoy and realize that without it, this story could have been an entree, but without the wine, appetizer and dessert.
It is an exceptional, unique story that keeps you glued to the pages as it unfolds in a manner so beautifully engrossing you dread that it has to end.

I had hoped to love this. But I found the plot tedious and the characters uninteresting. It was moving along so slowly I found myself bored.
Usually I love this time period but not this time. Perhaps it is the writers style

Beautifully written, this story combines just the right touch of magical realism needed to lend it the air of a lyrical fairy-tale set in Germany and France during World War II. The mother’s love is palpable, the symbolism of the heron is effective, the research is solid and the ending is powerful. Yes, this is historical fiction with a splash of magical realism; and yes, it is awesome. This book is filled with insightful quotes, and will saturate you with sensibility and nostalgia. This is an extraordinary portrait of the never-ending and enduring power of love. It is a lovely, mystical account of the plight of Jews as the Nazis invaded France. We know of all the loss and horror, but there’s a lot of love and kindness too displayed by the French population. Their acts of defiance and courage saved the lives of many.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I loved this book!

The spiritual element of the Gollum really sets it apart from the many many other WWII novels that are out there. I am a big fan of Alice Hoffman because there's always an element of the unknown with her and, in my opinion, this really puts her a notch above other fiction writers.

This was a lovely read and I am truly thankful for having the opportunity to read the early copy!

Thank you!

This is my first Alice Hoffman novel. To be honest I haven't heard much of her before (even though her name sounded familiar), and I loved the book cover! I do love historical fiction that takes place in WW2 in Europe - it has been done a lot so it's always great to read a story with a different perspective.

This book was a solid three stars. I don't usual read magical realism but I feel like this one wasn't too over the top, to me it didn't take away from the story, worked with the setting, and Ava was actually my favourite character.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Dovekeepers. This story seemed something I would love... fantasy and historical fiction. The reality is it is more nonfiction with a small taste of fantasy. There is nothing wrong with this...just not what I expected. Sadly I didn’t embrace the characters, maybe too much factual history during this horrible time? It was a story of the Resistance, and the details of how the people fought back against the Nazis were many. The last third of the book was most beautifully written (maybe by then I was embracing the characters). In the end I would say it was a book worth reading. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel.
Release date: September 24, 2019
“The World that We Knew” tells the story and struggles of three young women during WWII. To save her daughter, Hanni knows she must send Lea away, but her mother is sick and cannot make the journey so Hanni comes up with another plan and soon, Lea and her magical guardian Ava are escaping to France. Ettie and her sister are also on the run, and when her sister is killed Ettie is left to her own devices as she travels through the French countryside, desperate to avenge her sister’s death. Through it all, the women find love, magic and even peace, while they come to terms with their own strengths and talents.
Hoffman has taken the war-torn desolation of World War II Europe, and infused it with magic, love and hope. Lea searches for years for the love she left behind, while Ettie and Ava both find love in unexpected places. The novel speaks to the powers that we hold inside us, that only emerge when our situations are bleakest, if we still hold on to hope.
The novel alternates so that we hear from various characters in the novel during the same time period. Each character tells a unique tale, each one detailing the grim realities of war and the power of the human spirit.
I would’ve preferred to follow Ava and Lea’s story more closely, and had them take the centre storyline throughout the novel, merely for the magic and otherworldliness of Ava and her creation. That being said, the interconnected storylines speak to a deeper truth of all humans being connected by their tragedy and by their quest for love. The characters themselves are full of bravery, naiveté, and strength (that they don’t even know they have), and are likable in every way.
Hoffman continues to deliver a powerful message of love and humanity, while interspersing some magic in the way that only she can. The supernatural being of Ava is both brave and vulnerable, and as the story continues, it becomes easier and easier to root for her. The ending, too, delivers in an honest way, providing the bittersweet satisfaction that World War II novels must.
Definitely a novel that will make you think, and hope, and love, Hoffman delivers a heart-wrenching and poignant novel on the power of love and human kindness and how it can change the world.

I love historical fiction and have read many books that are set during World War II. The World That We Knew is yet another book in this genre but with a fascinating twist. Hanni, a Berlin Jew is acutely aware of the future that awaits her and seeks to change the future for her 12 year old daughter Lea. Looking for a way to send Lea to freedom in France, she enlists the help of a rabbi's wife who has been known to fabricate a "golem" a created being who takes on human form to undertake a specifice task or job. And so Ava (the golem) takes on the role of Lea's cousin and is charged with her care. This unique tale evolves from this point, with love, loss, deep sadness, sacrifice and more. As always, Alice Hoffmann has woven a story that is difficult to put down and created characters that are impossible to forget.
I read this book as an ebook, which I received for free from NetGalley in exchange for this review. There were points when I wished I had a hard copy of the book so that I could more easily go back and check on earlier scenes. In the latter part of the book, I began to jot down a few phrases and sentences that were poignant.
"Ava felt something sharp inside of her. By now she knew that people always lost what they loved most"
"love that was given was never thrown away"
Throughout the story, there was a theme of looking forward, not backward. I wonder if that was not a common thread of optimism and resilience that was pervasive in wartime.
Another winner by Alice Hoffmann

The World That We Knew will captivate you from the first to last page.

I didn't want this book to end: it has it all, magic, history, survival , strength , family .

We must never forget the sacrifices, the bravery, the Holocaust. The neighbours that put their lives at risk .

You will cheer them on; you will cry and you will sometimes laugh with the characters who become family .

I read a lot of historical fiction but I learned even more from The World That We Knew.

I am still and will continue to think of this book for days to come. Can't wait to get my hard copy.

Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the privilege of allowing me to read The World That We Knew.

I was very interested going into this book: it's historical fiction with elements of magical realism. Historical fiction is generally an auto-read for me, though magical realism can be a hit or miss.

But I think this book and I were doomed to have a failed relationship from the start. It took me three tries to get past the first two chapters (I fully reread the beginning twice, which I almost never do) and gain momentum to continue through.

I ended up really liking Hanni and initially loved the magical realism element. I've only ever read one other book with a golem being summoned, so I thought it was incredibly unique. I loved the ties into Judaism (especially given the WW2 setting), and Ettie's own frustrations being a girl who wants to be given the same privileges as a man. However, I struggled to connect with Hanni's daughter, Lea, and the golem that they call Ava. Once the focus turned to them, I started to lose interest.

I also found that the writing style was very dry. Events that should have been dramatic or graphic were described in very short, sometimes even vague sentences that made me wonder if what I thought was happening actually happened. I think it's a more minimalist way of writing that could work in some novels, but it seemed to strip the emotion from the story here.

Overall, I'm really unsure about how to rate this. I'm very clearly in the minority, given the insane amount of praise I've seen for this book. I think it's a really unique take on Jewish girls' survival in WW2, especially with the magical realism. Unfortunately, the writing and characters didn't do it for me.

This book! Another triumph for Alice Hoffman. I loved the mystical elements alongside the very real very sobering education of the persecution of the Jewish people during world war 2. I learned even more but was unaware how bad the situation was in France. I think many people my age and faith only learned how bad it was in Germany. I truly did not know how far reaching the German army’s reach was. For that, I feel ashamed.
But Alice Hoffman made the book so compelling that it never felt like a lecture. The chapters were broken up with several sub stories and characters who were all related (not solely by blood). And one mystical warrior: the outstanding Eva. The story took us through the years, and from the perspective of each major characters journey of the war. I think this novel would make for an excellent classroom read for age appropriate readers. For if my knowledge base was lacking I can only wonder if Generation Y and millennials and below have any inkling.. this gen X-er learned so much and in such a spellbinding and captivating way. I can’t recommend this novel highly enough. A must read. Special thank you to Netgalley and the Simon and Schuster for my ARC

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author, Ms. Alice Hoffman, for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy of "The World That We Knew".
Publishing 24 September 2019

This Devastatingly beautiful, enchanting, yet so heartwrenching story, has characters so real they come off the page!
This is the unstoppable story about love, loss; how much a soul can take and what it means to be "human" during the most heinous period of modern history.

The story begins in Berlin during WWII at the height if the Nazi Regime. A young mother, "Hanni Kohn", knows she needs to protect her 12 year old daughter from what is occurring around her...the round up for the gas chambers. Her daughter, "Lea" will come of age quickly as she fights to stay alive.
ALICE HOFFMAN weaves a magical, fantastical tale with literary elegance. Historical Fiction recreated as only Ms. Hoffman can realize.
5 stars

This book was a beautifully written book! It made me happy, sad and I found my myself rooting for the survival of many of the characters. This story is driven by a mother’s love for her daughter during WWII. She’ll do anything to save her daughter..even creating a creature to giver her daughter the best chance at life. We see the journey of Ava and Lea during the war along with other characters and their journeys.

I’ve read many historical fiction novels set during the WWII era. This book brings a very different perspective using magical realism.

Just when I thought the market was oversaturated with wartime fiction, Alice Hoffman delivers this gem of magical realism. I was invested in these characters from the get go, including, or perhaps especially, the golem, Ava. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC. I loved it!

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.