* LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL * ‘Oh, what a book this is! Hoffman’s exploration of the world of good and evil, and the constant contest between them, is unflinching; and the humanity she brings to us – it is a glorious experience. The book builds and builds, as she weaves together, seamlessly, the stories of people in the most desperate of circumstances – and then it delivers with a … and then it delivers with a tremendous punch. It opens up the world … in a way that is absolutely unique. By the end you may be weeping’ Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge
In Berlin in 1941 during humanity’s darkest hour, three unforgettable young women must act with courage and love to survive, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Marriage of Opposites Alice Hoffman.
In Berlin, at the time when the world changed, Hanni Kohn knows she must send her twelve-year-old daughter away to save her from the Nazi regime. She finds her way to a renowned rabbi, but it’s his daughter, Ettie, who offers hope of salvation when she creates a mystical Jewish creature, a rare and unusual golem, who is sworn to protect Lea. Once Ava is brought to life, she and Lea and Ettie become eternally entwined, their paths fated to cross, their fortunes linked.
Lea and Ava travel from Paris, where Lea meets her soulmate, to a convent in western France known for its silver roses; from a school in a mountaintop village where three thousand Jews were saved. Meanwhile, Ettie is in hiding, waiting to become the fighter she’s destined to be.
What does it mean to lose your mother? How much can one person sacrifice for love? In a world where evil can be found at every turn, we meet remarkable characters that take us on a stunning journey of loss and resistance, the fantastical and the mortal, in a place where all roads lead past the Angel of Death and love is never ending.
Praise for Alice Hoffman:
‘A major contribution to twenty-first century literature’ Toni Morrisonon The Museum of Extraordinary Things
‘A great atmospheric storyteller… Her books are a real pleasure’ Kate Atkinson
‘Hoffman reminds us with every sentence that words have the power to transport us to alternate worlds, to heal a broken heart, and to tie us irrevocably to the people we love’ Jodi Picoult
‘Miss Hoffman heals wounds with the gentle touch of an angel’ Joseph Heller
‘Hoffman… writes with heartbreaking clarity’ The Times
‘Alice Hoffman is simply brilliant’ Daily Mail
‘Hoffman knows how to tell a good story’ Sunday Times
‘Monumental… magical, moving… beautifully written… A genuine masterpiece’ Daily Mail on The Dovekeepers
‘One of the finest writers of her generation’ Newsweek
more
Alice Hoffman’s new novel will break your heart, and then stitch it back together piece by piece. It’s about love and loss, about history and the world today, about what happens when man goes against the laws of nature for good and for evil. It’s my new favorite Hoffman book — and if you know how much I adore her writing, that’s truly saying something.
All I can start off be saying is wow. What amazing book to finish. I haven’t read anything by Alice Hoffman before. And this is a library book. Will be buying my own copy of this book.
But after reading this book that’s all going to change. This book will be added to my re read and my favorites of 2020. Highly recommend this book. I never or have never heard of Jewish magic before. And I love the way it was bought to this story. You have three amazing women characters in this book. Who no matter what are brave and strong. Hanni Is amazing character in the beginning of this story. I loved her strength. To do anything for her daughter safety. I love to read WW2 books the history and the stories are still there and need to be read and told.
Oh, what a book this is! Hoffman’s exploration of the world of good and evil, and the constant contest between them, is unflinching; and the humanity she brings to us — it is a glorious experience. The book builds and builds, as she weaves together, seamlessly, the stories of people in the most desperate of circumstances — and then it delivers with a tremendous punch. It opens up the world, the universe, in a way that it absolutely unique. By the end you may be weeping.
“The World That We Knew” by Alice Hoffman is a beautiful novel written in the genres of historical fiction and magical realism. This is a powerful story that takes place in Europe during World War 2. Hoffman blends a mythical creature into the novel as a central figure; a golem incapable of having a soul but capable of loyalty to its creator.
The story begins with Hanni, a Jewish mother, who must get her young daughter, Lea, out of Nazi Germany during the War. The dire circumstances of the historical period mean that Lea must leave Germany without her mother. In order to fulfill this heart-wrenching decision, Hanni sets out to find one who can protect her cherished daughter on her travels out of Germany. Ultimately, Hanni finds one who can create a golem, and she entrusts to this golem with one thing: to watch over and care for her daughter as if she were her own.
This is a novel that reveals depths and textures of different characters against the devastating and atrocious reality of Nazi Germany. Themes of love, patriarchy, loyalty, tradition, freedom, oppression, loss, and purpose are paramount in this novel. Hoffman asks brilliant yet indirect questions of the reader. Some examples of questions the reader contemplates in the novel are: What is the division between loyalty and love? How is it that heart intricately connects us through distance to those we love –and after death? And what constitutes the soul of a being? These questions are contemplated often as the wonderful novel unfolds.
Highly recommend this book. Loved it.
I typically don’t read WW2 era historical fiction, but from the moment I picked this up at the bookstore, I knew this wouldn’t be a typical war novel. I loved the magical realism and elements of the supernatural. I also love Alice Hoffman and am quickly turning in to one of her biggest fans. Also, if you are a fan of The Book Thief, this book is for you. I saw many similarities between the two novels as I was reading. The Book Thief has stayed with me years after reading, as I know The World That We Knew also will.
I will say I was a bit disappointed in the end, just because I wanted a better resolution for two of the characters. And, I would recommend reading this book in one setting or not dragging it out too much, because the scope of this book and its characters is large and a bit confusing if you’re taking breaks from reading; I had a bit of trouble keeping up and remembering all the details from each interwoven plot and story. And while the story strays from the original narrative of Hanni, Ada and Lea, it was a beautiful book encompassing many haunting and wonderful stories from various characters.
Heartbreaking and beautiful. Alice Hoffman weaves a story like no other. Perseverance and a mother’s love is the thread of this story.
The book captivates from the first few sentences. The story is so unique the reader cannot fail to be captivated. Reading it is an experience. Read it!!
I have loved Alice Hoffman’s work for years, but this one is the best, and most moving book yet!
I really didn’t know what to expect from this book so I was wonderfully delighted. If you enjoyed PRACTICAL MAGIC and THE RULES OF MAGIC you will also enjoy THE WORLD THAT WE KNEW. Hoffman puts her twist on the Jewish mystical story of the golem.
My heart was captured by all the main characters – Ettie, Lea, Marianne, Ava, Vincent and Julien. I rejoiced in their raw moments of happiness, loved their moments of tenderness, and had my heart broken several times. Good vs evil – an ever-ending struggle for all humanity. Five very brave young people who are determined to conquer evil. Hoffman’s characters must make decisions not only for themselves but for all those they love, sometimes having to sacrifice themselves. A story of love and loss, what it means to be a mother.
A quote that stuck with me: “People are so breakable, and so easy to lose.”
The World That We Knew: A Novel by Alice Hoffman
Sept 14, 2019
Simon and Schuster
Fiction, historical
Rating: 5/5
384 pages
I received a digital ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster in exchange for unbiased review.
I found it interesting how the author had no intentions of writing this story when approached by a fan. Apparently, the woman begged her to write “her story”. Somehow, she must have been touched and intrigued as a beautiful novel was born.
In Berlin, Hanni Kohn’s husband was murdered during a riot outside a Jewish hospital in which he worked as a doctor. Hanni realizes that she must stay to protect her dying mother while finding a way to save her her 12 year old daughter, Lea. She makes a heart breaking decision to seek assistance from a respected rabbi who is known to have created mystical golems. Although she is turned away by her parents, Etti offers to perform this rare creation.
It was so interesting learning about golems and their historical presence. I was fascinated by the spiritual beliefs and fears with being a creator of such a powerful being which has potential to become a monster. It can eventually destroy that which it was built to protect if not properly managed. There was a lot of Hebrew references in the novel which added to the mystical aspect.
The story weaves together the lives of brave people who were willing to sacrifice to save and protect others from a horrible fate. I feel overwhelmed to describe a book which can only be experienced. This is unlike any other historical novel written about WWII. The characters and experiences and connections are rich and substantial. As with any story during this time period, there is pain and loss and redemption.
My synopsis would not do the story justice.
https://bookwormreviewblog.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-world-that-we-knew-by-alice-hoffman.html?m=1
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2764475035
Ww2, Etti, Ava crested
One of my favorites.
Beautiful, tragic, so much Love
I can not rave about this book because words escape me. She combines magical realism with folklore and the mysticism of the Jewish faith. She builds characters layer by layer. You ache for them, root for them and unfortunately, mourn when some are lost. She illuminates lesser-known aspects of WWII so that the reader closes the book learning some new horrible nuance of the war and the Holocaust.
My reader’s brain gets completely sucked into the story, to the point I’m surprised to find myself in my living room. My writer’s brain is astounded by her writing….how does she do it? The story required much research. How does she create a world without getting bogged down into a highly detailed narrative that includes all that information? How does she craft characters so subtle and deep?
Even a week after finishing this book I am still thinking about this story.
It is on my Bucket List to meet her one day.
Alice Hoffman has done it again. Contributed to World War II set literature with her magical realist spin. A story of horror and beauty, cruelty and forgiveness.
Alice Hoffman is one of those authors that never disappoints. Yes, she is a talented storyteller who is able to make even magic and mysticism believable. But her real gift is creating characters with souls. In this novel, Hoffman explores how war impacts and changes a small group of fictional people. And by doing so, she makes so much of the complexity of World War II more digestible and understandable.
As soon as I started reading, I was immediately absorbed by the lives of the people I met. In one Berlin family of successful and cultured Jews, I worried at their failure to recognize the danger of the mounting government restrictions. In another, I identified with the intense fear of one mother who flaunts deep religious tradition in order to save her child. In a third, I met a rabbi’s teenage daughter who believes she is the only one who can protect her younger sister and sees the war will give her the opportunity to finally do what she was born to do — fight.
There is also young Lea, hiding out with distant relatives or in remote schools, and her unfolding love-hate relationship with her fierce protectress, Ava. The two spoiled sons of a prominent mathematician, lazy Victor and star-student Julian, who find their paths diverge sharply when the war comes. And a quiet country doctor, hiding his own private sadness, while trying to keep villagers alive. Even a heron that acts as a homing pigeon.
As the book progressed, each of these characters came to represent so much more than that one person’s story. Instead, Hoffman skillfully used each one to illuminate many of the deepest themes of wartime. Like the universal sacrifices parents willingly make to save their children. Or the blasé arrogance and brutality of the Nazi regime. The risks so many non-Jews took to protect strangers. The randomness of loss and death. How survival can depend on having someone to live for. And how some individuals seize the opportunity of war to become stronger and braver people, while others simply give up. And even, what it ultimately means to be human.
This is a powerful, suspenseful, disturbing, and unpredictable read. And it’s going to stay with me for a long time.
Enjoyed it immensely! Definitely recommend
I didn’t know what to expect from this book when I started it, but I was surprised and engaged right at the first page. It is both heartbreaking and charming at the same time. Set in the midst of the Nazi occupation of France, it speaks to the shock of the Jewish people in Europe who were amazed to find out that they were being targeted when many of them considered themselves to be an integral part of the society in which they lived.
The golem created to guard the main character is the stuff of old legends and mysticism with a new twist. I love that Alice Hoffman uses magic realism in her stories. Fascinating!
This is one of Hoffman’s best books so far. It was so beautifully written with a great story.
In The World That We Knew, we are transported to time when the world was in great turmoil. The lives of this cast of characters become intertwined with their heroic attempts. This book is brilliantly written, and due to the subject matter, there were many times I had to set the story aside because the content was weighing on me so heavily. There is love,magic, and heartbreak in this riveting tale. I highlighted many passages while reading because there is so much depth and power the author’s words. Five star read!