This book wasn’t really for me. I didn’t realize it was a middle grade book until after I requested it. I was just interested because it was by Alice and it was about Anne Frank. I think it would be really good for a middle school person who wants to learn about Anne Frank but isn’t ready to read her diary.

Alice always weaves a good story.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic for my copy of this book.

2.75 ⭐️ As an adult reader, I found myself occasionally confused by the way the narrative jumped around. While I understand this was written for a middle grade or YA audience, it still felt like something was missing. When I first picked it up, I thought it might be appropriate for 5th or 6th grade, but after finishing it, I’d recommend introducing it in 7th grade instead. Pairing it with The Diary of Anne Frank could open up rich discussion—not only about the historical context but also about genre differences, since this book leans more toward historical fiction. One thoughtful element was the portrayal of the two sisters' distant relationship and how, despite the limitations of their circumstances, they began to reconnect and grow closer.

A fascinating historical look back at Anne Frank's life... before we read her diary. The author has taken the liberty of creating a life for Anne, conversations, daily happenings, of what may have taken place during those wartime months leading up to when Anne fatefully began documenting her own life story.

The historical details, dates, important facts are all in this story. I found it all interesting, and in fact, When We Flew Away has made me desire to go read Anne Frank's diary -- as, I'm sure, Alice Hoffman would be glad to know.

Alice Hoffman was why I chose this book. I’m not sure I would have trusted someone else to write this! this is perfect for a book club as it hits so many discussable topics, but its also great for anyone who enjoys learning past the “well-known” parts of history!

The beginning of the book seemed very repetitious to me., although I was interested in the subject. I also had problems with the format. Readers who enjoyed Anne Frank’s diary might find this interesting and an added insight to her character.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I do enjoy the thought behind this book. You can tell the author went to great lengths to make it as accurate as possible to the historical timeline. Although directed towards middle grade readers, it doesn’t seem quite intriguingl enough to capture the interest of that age group. Not a lot happens and it moves slowly.

When We Flew Away is a moving and beautifully written look into Anne Frank’s life before the attic and before the diary we all know. Hoffman does a great job imagining Anne’s early experiences—her curiosity, energy, and growing awareness of the world changing around her. It’s emotional without being overly dramatic, and it gave me a deeper sense of who Anne was as a person, not just as a symbol. Some moments felt a little slow, but overall, it’s a thoughtful and respectful tribute that adds meaningful context to a story we think we already know.

I loved this book! If you enjoy reading about World War 1 and 2 and the Holocaust, this should be your next read. It was a creative take on life before hiding for Anne Frank and her family. The character development was phenomenal and you instantly fall in love with Anne. While the topic is tragic and at times heavy, it leaves you thinking and reflecting on what life was like for Jews during this time.

When We Flew Away
The story is so good. Alice Hoffman is such an incredible writer. The story is sad, because you know what happens, but it really doesn’t talk about that. Instead you spend around the ages of 10-13 with her, until they go into hiding. Much of the story is invented, yet Anne’s father and some of their friends survived and likely told much background information when they set up her museum. Alice Hoffman incorporated things into the book that would have been known. She also incorporated images that really made the foreboding feelings real. Hoffman's imagery is spectacular and her use of the moths as a motif for the coming days was excellent. After reading this book, I hugged my loved one and made sure he knew I loved him. There is so much to think about in this book. Unfortunately there are so many parallels to today. This would be a great book to discuss with middle grade children. It is a wonderful introduction to the Holocaust. I have been surprised that I have not seen this book more and I think a great many of you are missing out on this one!
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Thank you to @netgalley and to @scholasticpress for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
#WhenWeFlewAwayANovelofAnneFrankBeforetheDiary #NetGalley

This was a very interesting perspective on how Anne got to where most of us know her. Overall the book itself was just ok, but I did appreciate what the author was doing and I feel a lot of middle grade history lovers will enjoy this.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕎𝕖 𝔽𝕝𝕖𝕨 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕪: 𝔸 ℕ𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝕠𝕗 𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕖 𝔽𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪

This is a quick read for a young audience, giving a glimpse of what Anne Frank’s life might have been like before her family was forced to hide.

The story is told without a lot of details. I’d rather be more immersed in the story by being buried in the details. It is important to remember it isn’t written for adults though, and children might love this mystery.

I like seeing a mystery series that involves history for young people. This story brings a different look at Anne Frank’s life. Though it is fiction, it gives the reader a look at her life before tragedy struck her family.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with this ebook to read and review.

Alice Hoffman’s When We Flew Away is a beautifully written novel that blends historical fiction facts, believable could be events, with deep emotional resonance. Her signature poetic prose brings the characters and their struggles to life, weaving a story of love, loss, and hope. There was a fantastic rich atmosphere and moving storytelling. I loved seeing Anne Frank from this perspective and what her life could have been before their family went into hiding. I like the spunky attitude she has and seeing how she interacted with her family before the diary.

A poignant and captivating read that lingers in the heart—perfect for fans of Hoffman’s enchanting style!

I wanted to love this book as I like reading about Anne Frank and this time period in history. I don't think this was the book for me at this time. I had to DNF at about 20%. The writing is excellent, and the story an important one, especially to read about Anne Frank before she and her family went into hiding, but it just wasn't for me right now. I will give this a chance at a later time.

Even if you didn’t read “The Diary of Anne Frank” in your school years, you’re likely familiar with her story. This novel, written for middle-grade readers, imagines what life was like for the Frank family in the years leading up to their hiding in the attic, which is portrayed in Anne’s diary. In this fictional account, the glimmers of the creative, bold, intelligent young woman we know from her diary are given more room to grow. We know how Anne and her family’s story will end, which lends a foreboding bent to the book but also gives an important historical context to young readers. (Recommendation being sent to subscribers of WordSmarts.com)

I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn’t. The characters seemed flat with no room to really grow. I was not left hanging or left excited to pick it up again to see what happens next. The plot moved very slowly, sometimes taking pages and pages to have the character be finished thinking and wondering before anything actually happened. I ended up not finishing because it did not really capture my interest like I had hoped it would.

Part of our 8th grade curriculum is reading The Diary of Anne Frank, and I love that this book exists. It deals with Anne's life in the period before she goes into hiding in the annex. Well-researched and so emotional to read!

I didn’t go into this read knowing it was geared towards a YA audience, but I do feel it fits an even younger one.

It was charming and clearly a lot of research had to have been done to authenticate a book like this, but it was just too simplistic. I would have loved more details. But overall I did enjoy it and would absolutely recommend it for further reading on Anne Frank.

Thank you to Netgalley for the E-ARC.

Most of us are aware of the life of Ann Frank, but this shares a brief period of time before her world changed, as her family is celebrating her 13th birthday. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of what her life might have been like before the occupation.

Is basically the story of Anne Frank and her family before the Diary. While it's historical fiction you can tell that Hoffman did her research in order to do Anne and her family Justice. Even thought this is middle grade adults will enjoy it as well. I do recommend having tissues handy.

This book was so emotional. This was difficult to read at times but was powerful and needs to always be remembered. . This book was well written. Must for all shelves.