The World That We Knew is a literary book that has deep and symbolic undertones. I love all Alice Hoffman books and this one is no exception. The Golem (Ava) was an added bonus for me as I love the very idea of them. It's a little known aspect of Jewish history and I love that Alice Hoffman, a mainstream author, is bringing the idea of it, as well as more of the Jewish persecution to the masses.

Through strong storytelling and a richly layered story, I was immersed in the the many characters lives. Sisters, brothers, and mother/daughter relationships stood out strong throughout the book. Each character had a uniquely individual storyline yet they all had a common denominator. They showed incredible courage, immense strength, and emotional hardship as the atrocities were everywhere. As they grew, the reader was able to see how they changed from small and innocent to hard and weathered.

Hoffman brought to light many places and unknown stories from the Holocaust that I found myself googling. The magic of the Golem of the mysticism of the Heron offered a presence that was needed in the story. They made for a richer reading experience. As many of you know, Hoffman is known for adding touches of magic into most of not all of her books; it's one of my favorite things about her writing. This one read lyrically although I'm not sure if that came from the narration or not. I listened to the first half and read the second half, so I had Judith Light's (remember her from Who's the Boss?) beautiful rendering in my head.

If you're a fan of historical fiction, especially Jewish historical fiction, you should for sure pick this one up.

This book will stay with me for years. It’s simply unlike any other historical fiction that I have read before. Perfect pacing, lovely characters, and just the right amount of magic.

This was one of the most powerful books I've ever read. The writing and storytelling were superb, and the characters stayed with me long after I finished the book. A modern masterpiece.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alice Hoffman has once again created a fascinating novel. I loved so many of her previous novels, including The Dovekeepers, The Museum of Extraordinary Things and The Marriage of Opposites. Her newest novel called The World That We Knew, is a historical novel that mixes reality and magical mysticism to build a story of love, loss and bravery during a time of hate and fear.

Though Hoffman has included Judaism in some of her other books, this time she has written indirectly about the Holocaust. She brings the reader into the room with a mother who wants to save her young daughter from the atrocities of war that she knows are coming. Lea Kohn has narrowly escaped being raped and her mother Hanni realizes that Berlin has become too dangerous to survive. Hanni does not want to leave her own mother behind so she contrives to send twelve year old Lea away.

To protect Lea, her mother, HInni goes to the Rabbi to create a Golem to accompany Lea as she travels to Paris and hopefully freedom. The Rabbi's daughter is convinced to create this mystical creature and also wants to send her younger sister Marta along to escape. The Golem, Ava is created from mud on the banks of the river Spree. She is brought to life with the recitation of the secret name of G-d. She is supposed to have no feelings of her own, just the desire of Lea's mother. To continue to love her like her as a mother would and protect her. Ava is tall, strong and confident. She learns languages — including birdsong — in minutes and can kill on Lea’s behalf.

As they travel together so many things change along the way. They relationship develops and changes. The reader more and more accepts the reality of Ava and her developing feelings for life and the world becoming more human as time goes on.

Ava represents all the parents who risk their lives and take extreme measures to save their children and protect them during the Holocaust. Using this fairy tale like soulless supernatural protector out of Jewish folklore to call attention to the harsh realities of World War II.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Mixing historical fiction with Jewish mysticism, Alice Hoffman has created a fascinating novel about World War II. A woman begs a rabbi's daughter to create a golem, a creature created from mud, to protect her daughter from the Nazis. It is a very powerful story of survival in the face of overwhelming evil.

This book was so lovely. I loved every second of it. Alice Hoffman is a really great writer and she has such a way with words that really makes the characters come alive. I highly recommend it!

Alice Hoffman never disappoints. All of her books are incredible and this one is no exception. This book is a solid 4.5 stars for me. It is a book about love and survival during World War II. It is a perspective that I have never read before. I have to honest. I don’t read a lot of books with magical realism. So the beginning of the story didn’t draw me in. But over time, the creature, the golem, that was created to watch over a young girl became a symbol of a mother’s love. As any parent knows, you would do whatever it takes to protect your child. This story was filled with love in the midst of destruction. It’s a must read for historical fiction fans.

3.5 stars!!

I sat on this review for a few days to really process my feels. I adore Alice Hoffman and usually soak up her beautiful writing, but I really struggled with The World That We Knew for some reason.

As a historical fiction lover, maybe I have read too many WWII novels, or maybe it was the magical realism storyline with the golem, but I just didn’t connect like I hoped.

*Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio Netgalley, and libro.fm for the gifted audiobook review. All opinions are my own.

Wow! This book was so heartbreaking, but so beautifully written. I was unable to put this one down and was disappointed it took me so long to initially pick this one up. While I'm still processing this one, all I can say is that you should definitely pick up your own copy!

You definitely need the read the author's note in the beginning of the book as it explains how she came about writing this book and how it was based of one Jewish women's real life experiences.

I loved the magical realism aspect of this novel. I was immediately intrigued and that's part of the reason I had such a hard time putting this one down. This book is one of those Holocaust novels that you won't want to miss. There were so many amazing people who did what they could to save the Jewish people, many of them children, and how selfless their acts truly were. This book shows you the power of hope and love in the most dreadful times.

Another great book!!! I love anything Alice Hoffman writes! She never disappoints me. Her storytelling astounds me!! Can't wait for her next book!!

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!

This novel is historical fiction set in Germany and France in WWII with the addition of Alice Hoffman's signature magic realism, as the more typical Jews fleeing the Nazis narrative also includes a female golem commissioned by a mother to protect her daughter, and appearances by the angel of death among other things. The actual historical narrative did not add much new if you have read a lot of WWII fiction, but the magic realism was an interesting touch. A lot of characters so at times a little hard to keep track of, and a little slow at times, but the writing was quite lovely. I'd give this 3.75 stars so rounding up to 4.

While I love historical fiction, I'm not a big fan of magical realism. I guess that's why this book was kind of hit or miss for me. I agree with other readers that the writing is beautiful and the story heartbreaking but I had a hard time connecting to the characters and believing the mystical parts. It just wasn't a favorite for me but I still look forward to what Alice Hoffman creates next.

This was my first Alice Hoffman book and I was surprised by THE WORLD THAT WE KNEW: this book is a mix of historical fiction and magical realism. Told in multiple POVs, I felt more attached to some characters than others - I especially loved Ava. For me, she was a personification of mother - always showing unconditional and sacrificial love. Her journey was beautiful and emotional. Prepare a handkerchief because there are some spots of the story that will bring you to tears.

Furthermore, I found the love stories heartbreaking but at the same time, they gave me hope. While the development of the characters was overall great, the pacing was quite uneven, dragging in some parts yet on the other hand, there were also chapters that I devoured. I often felt that the plot was a bit disjointed, only to understand in the end when all the pieces were brought together and fit perfectly. The focus on Jewish people's hardships was immersive with a unique approach.

THE WORLD THAT WE KNEW is a refreshing WWII story filled with magic.

If you don’t believe in magic, I dare you to pick up and read any novel by Alice Hoffman.

I’m a fan of “Nightbird” and “The Rules of Magic,” but Hoffman’s newest novel, “The World That We Knew,” might also be a good place to start.

This one is about angels and demons, heroes and villains, finding joy in terrible circumstances and the sacrifice of mothers and fathers — who literally give up their lives just so their children could live.

The backdrop for this incredible tale of faith, love, grief, courage and survival: 1941 to 1944, Europe. Yes, during the Holocaust.

Caught between duties as a Jewish daughter and mother, Hanni Kohn recruits Ettie, a rabbi’s fiery young redheaded daughter, to create a creature who could project her 12-year-old daughter, Lea, and bring her safe passage from their home in Berlin to escape in Paris. This is how the golem Ava was made — from clay, water, blood and tears in a secret illegal ritual.

Soon after, Hanni sends Lea and Ava away in her place. Soon after, the Gestapo kill Lea’s grandmother and send her mother to Auschwitz. And not so soon after, Lea and Ava learn how to endure in a great and horrible world where the lives of loved ones can be instantly snuffed out like the flames on candles.

Still, “The World That We Knew” is full of light because, as Hoffman reminds us, every Anne Frank story has a Peter Van Daan — a love and a hope that sees, understands and reminds us that anything can happen and that nothing is impossible. Lea’s Peter is a 14-year-old boy named Julien, the youngest son of the Jewish family that harbor the refugees until the horrors from Germany also knock on their door.

Theirs is a story to be remembered. That’s why Hoffman wrote this book — upon the request of Jewish-born woman who attended one of Hoffman’s readings in Florida.

The woman wanted the burning sacrifice of her parents and her life’s story to be remembered.

“I didn’t yet realize that her life story, the tale of a child separated from her parents, is the central motif to many fairy takes, reaching the most vulnerable parts of our hearts and souls and engaging our deepest fears,” writes Hoffman. “When you lose your child, the future vanishes. When you lose your parents, your world ends.”

So “The World That We Knew” was made — not upon clay and water, but built upon the autobiographical stories of those who deserve to be remembered: the woman who smuggled children to safety, the priest who asked to die in the place of a stranger with a family, the solider who hid and helped those under persecution, the businessman who protected his workers and their families despite the cost, and countless other heroes who dared to give up their lives so that others could live.

While we may not know all their stories, we see shadows of them in “The World That We Knew.” And we reflect on what it means to be human while the flames of our forefathers light the way.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of the new Alice Hoffman book. It does not disappoint! Hoffman brings her characters to life, throws in a little magic realism, and comes up with a moving story of the human cost of the Holocaust.

Maybe its just that I've read too many Holocaust books in the past few years, but this seemed like another Holocaust book to me. All of these breaks are heartbreaking and not easy to read. This book proved the same. In the end, there was a lot going on within this book and it wasn't easy to keep track of everything. The difference to me in this Holocaust book, versus others is that the characters/ relationships didn't stand out as much a I wished they would have. I love historical fiction, but the magical/fantasy aspect of it seems either a love or a hate for me, rarely in between. I love Alice Hoffman's other books and ultimately can see why others may love this book, this just wasn't "it" for me.

Simon & Schuster and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The World That We Knew. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Hanni Kohn, a Jewish mother living in Berlin in 1941, comes face to face with the reality of life as an oppressed person. Having no choice but to send her twelve year old daughter Lea away for her safety, Hanni relies on the magical properties of the Jewish faith to guide her hand. As the future becomes uncertain for Lea, as well as for others that she meets along the way, can the will to survive overpower even the darkest of days?

Having read many historical fiction novels based in Europe during World War II, I appreciated the addition of a little mysticism. The World That We Knew does follow several characters, although Lea is the center spoke around which the others rotate. The author does a good job of accurately expressing the realities of life for Jewish citizens during the time period, with all of its brutality. The idea that all creatures, created by man or by a higher power, deserve to have a chance at life is not new, but this novel takes elements of religion and lore to give the novel a fresh perspective. I found the novel to be very moving and the lack of storybook ending was exactly how it should be. I definitely recommend The World That We Knew to readers who like World War II historical fiction and I look forward to reading more by veteran author Alice Hoffman in the future.

The World That We Knew is different from any book I’ve read. I’m so glad I decided to read it and now understand the great reviews. The book captured me from the very beginning and will tug at your heartstrings. Alice Hoffman has the ability to make the reader feel like part of the time period. What an amazing author!

A captivating story about breaking and healing and unending love. The magical way Hoffman writes engulfs you so completely it's as if all the fairy tales in the world are real. In this book she writes in a way that contrasts in the most gorgeous way to the horrific time of World War II, putting the harshness of war up against the motivation for love. I didn't connect as closely with the characters as I hoped I would but by the end I truly felt this one was meant to be driven by the magic the symbolism and the love and loss faced. Lea and Ava are bound together for life after Lea's mother has Ettie create Ava, a golem to forever protect her. Their lives are intersecting and evolving in the best way through hardship and an inspiring need to survive. The story is constantly in motion as they fight to survive and resist the devastation and the heartbreak. I adored Lea finding love and Ava growing more human than golem as the story unfolds and the fight in Ettie to be on equal footing as her male counterparts as part of the resistance. It's a vivid story that will appeal to fans of fantasy and historical fiction alike.