Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Alice Hoffman for the opportunity to read and review her latest book. While I wouldn't say magical reasoning books would be on the list of my favorite genres, when written by Alice Hoffman, they deserve 5 stars.

This is a beautifully written, heartbreaking, yet hopeful book of love and loss, mostly the loss of a mother's love. Set during World War II, Hanni is a mother in Berlin who knows that she must leave her daughter, Lea, to give her any chance at life. Hanni's own mother is bedfast and Hanni is duty-bound to stay with her. She wants someone who will love Lea like she does and goes to a rabbi's home for assistance. There, the rabbi's daughter, Ettie, helps Hanni create a magical golem, Ava, who is sworn to protect Lea at all costs. Lea and Ava travel throughout Europe trying to stay alive and together, meeting a cast of characters all doing the same.

Meticulously researched and teaching us more atrocities of this time period, we are also left with the hope that love brings. I loved all the blessings, prayers, thoughts of souls and visions of both protective angels and the angel of death. Highly recommended.

Alice Hoffman does it again! She takes you to a place in history and makes you feel as though you experienced it first hand. The World That We Knew does just that, it takes on a journey through history and teaches you history through the eyes of strong characters.

The World That We Knew is a WWII story - mixed with the magical realism elements that Alice Hoffman delivers so well. Every time I read one of her books, I just find myself sinking into the magic of her writing.

When I received the ARC, it came with a letter from the author and I'd like to quote part of it because I feel like it describes this book better than I could:

"I've come to understand that fairy tales are perhaps the most autobiographical of all stories, containing the deepest psychological truths. They are the original stories, handed down from grandmothers to grandchildren, told by firelight or starlight. Each one is a cautionary tale. These are the stories that explain the sorrow of real life, but also assure us that once upon a time there was a woman or girl who managed to rescue herself.

Once you tell a story, you are not forgotten. This is what our grandmothers wanted us to know, that is what I realized while writing about the journey of three characters who refused to be silent: Lea, a young girl who is sent away from Berlin to ensure that she will survive. Ettie, the daughter of a rabbi, who is as brave in the real world as she is in the world of magic. And Ava, a mythic being whose only purpose is to protect the stranger who affects her life in ways she could not have imagined.

Fairy tales tell us that we may be lost, we may be forsaken, but there is a path."

I alternated between listening to the audiobook and reading - both were great ways to take in this story. While the audio was very well done and narrated by Judith Light - I sometimes found myself getting a little lost while listening. I'm not sure if this was on me or the book but I did more rereading than I usually do on audiobooks.

Thank you very much to Simon & Shuster, Netgalley and Librofm for the advance reading and listening copies.

Alice Hoffman’s new novel, The World That We Knew, is possibly her best work. The story begins in 1941 Berlin. Hanni Kohn’s husband has recently been murdered in a riot outside of the hospital where he worked. Hanni is realistic about her future. She knows she must save the life of her twelve-year-old daughter Lea and she seeks the best way to secure Lea’s future. Hanni’s prayers are answered by Ettie, a rabbi’s disgruntled seventeen-year-old daughter. Ettie longs to prove her worth in the male orthodox world. Ettie once secretly observed her father making a golem and she is able to craft Ava, a female golem, from clay. Ava appears to be a woman, but she has no heart and possesses supernatural skills. She is created solely to replace Hanni in Lea’s life and ensure her safety. Hanni pays Ettie with her remaining jewels and train tickets that allow Ettie and her sister to flee Berlin. Hanni sends Lea and Ava to the home of distant cousins in Paris. As the years progress Lea finds love and Ava becomes more woman than a golem. Ava continuously protects Lea from harm. Ettie joins the resistance movement, fulfilling her desire to do the same important work as a man.
Hoffman’s plot is constantly in motion between many intriguing settings. The story moves among inspiring characters and surprising connections. The World That We Knew is Hoffman’s amazing creation and a book that should not be missed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was actually my first Alice Hoffman book and I will definitely look to read more from her. I usually shy away from WWII books as I like fun/escape reads but I love stories with magic and read such good reviews of this one I decided to check it out. I was not disappointed at all! This was a really fantastic and well thought out story. A Jewish mother was forced to send her daughter away to save her during the war. The rabi’s daughter who helped her escape created a magical golem to protect the daughter, Lea. It bonds them together for life and you follow them on a journey of friendship, love and hardship. I devoured this book quickly and would recommend it to anyone. It was a really original story and perfect for fans of historical fiction. The characters were so well developed and Alice Hoffman’s writing was really suberb. Warning: have a box of tissues ready!

I believe this is a special and unique novel. The author has created some wonderful characters, including a golem called Ava. Set in WWIi, a desperate mother hires a rabbi’s daughter to make a golem to protect her daughter as she tries to escape certain death in NZi Germany. Combines the war setting with magical realism.

{My Thoughts}
Over the years I’ve read many WWII stories, so it’s became really difficult to find new ones that feel fresh, but that’s exactly what I got with Alice Hoffman’s new book, The World That We Knew. Unlike many WWII stories, this is not about battles or camps, or even about Nazis. Those things are all there in the background, but The World That We Knew is really a story about relationships. Many characters whose lives intersect in different ways populate the book and those overlapping connections were what I most enjoyed.

At the onset of the book we meet Hanni, a German Jew determined to protect her daughter at all cost. She enlists the help of a Rabbi’s daughter, Ettie, to create a golem to protect Lea. This creature, Ava, does her job well, but is somehow more than anyone expected. Ava, Ettie, and Lea are at the heart of Hoffman’s story, but many others play key roles as the three travel to France and once there, fight to not only survive, but to resist. I loved this look at simple warriors in the French Resistance. Hoffman did a beautiful job juxtaposing the harshness of war with the motivation of love.

One touch and he changed her. This was the way dark enchantments worked, without logic, without cause. You are one thing and then the world pitches and you are something else entirely. A bitter fear was rising in Lea. Without knowing anything about what men and women did, she knew what came next. She’d felt it when he touched her. Ownership and desire.

As in all Alice Hoffman books, The World That We Knew, was populated with magical elements, starting with Ava. I really liked Ava, the idea of her being a golem created to protect a child, and the evolution she went through throughout the story. However, Hoffman included other magical elements that I felt detracted a bit from the larger story, even though they often were key to her story. I’d have liked to see a little less of the magical, but overall very much liked The World That We Knew.

Alice Hoffman's The World That We Knew is probably my favorite book so far this year. A carefully woven story based on escape throughout WW2 and traditional Jewish mythology, Hoffman truly brings her characters to life. I am a big fan of Alice Hoffman's writing, and this one exceed expectations. As you may guess, I was incredibly excited that Simon & Schuster gave me an eARC via Netgalley (in exchange for my fair and honest review - no difficulties on this one).

In 1941 Berlin, a mother realizes the only way to protect her daughter from the growing Nazi threat is to send her away, and in order to do so, she enlists a Rabbi's daughter to create a creature that will love and protect her daughter the way that she would, a golem, Ava. She, Lea, the daughter, and Ettie, the Rabbi's daughter, go forth into the world, with stories forever intertwined.

While the story truly centers around Ava, Lea and Ettie, we gather characters as we go, watching how their stories twist and braid together. No character feels too insignificant or to minor. Reading felt quite like watching a pattern be woven on a loom, at first colors and shapes seem isolated and individual, and then the pattern forms and becomes connected and solid. As the story flows, even the smallest of characters make their mark and change the flow of the story.

Hoffman weaves us a fairytale, however, she is doing so out of real historical events. The research done for this book is incredible, and you feel almost like you're learning a bit about both the French Resistance during WWII and Jewish folklore. This is reinforced with Hoffman's additional reading list at the end in case you're interested in more history behind these. In this, it's also to keep in mind there is historically accurate violence and for those who need it, TW (Trigger Warning) for the first part, in which a non-descriptive sexual assault occurs.

I know I'm being less specific than my usual reviews, however, it's hard to put pen to paper every single thing I love about this book without writing a book of my own. I can't wait to see what Hoffman writes next.

This new book by Alice Hoffman is fantastic.  I thought I had read every type of WWII book that could be written, but then I read The World That We Knew. I love historical fiction but I'm a real sucker for magical realism, and as usual Alice Hoffman does it so well.  The creation of a magical golem to protect the young main character, Lea,  adds to the story in great ways without detracting from the overall serious nature of the plotline. I'm not particularly religious, but enjoyed the incorporation here of the appreciation of God, whether through a Jewish or Christian lens.  The story is absolutely tragic and heartbreaking, highlighting the true cruelty and unfairness of the world that we live in. However, the beauty of humanity is shown, as well, through great comraderie with friends, family, and strangers alike. I definitely recommend this book!

I don’t often pick up a book with magical realism in it, most of the time I just don’t get it, and because of that I don’t enjoy these books as much I would like to. However, Alice Hoffman’s books are a must read for me, and this book was no exception, magical realism or not. Once again, I was truly captivated with the story and its poetic writing, and I allowed myself to be fully submerged in the author’s world of magical realism. It was a beautifully written story of love, hardship, grief, sacrifice, courage, and hope. The characters were superb, and I loved them all. This book is one of a kind, and I think it is a must read for everyone that loves historical fiction and is willing to suspend their disbelief just for a little while to fully enjoy the talent of Alice Hoffman’s writing.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a lover of all things Alice Hoffman, I jumped at the chance to read an ARC of The World That We Knew. As it turns out, Hoffman is just as exceptional when writing about France and Germany during World War II, as she is when writing modern tales.

Hanni is desperate to get her daughter out of war torn before they are sent to the camps. She pays Ellie, daughter of a powerful rabbi, to perform forbidden magic and create a golem out of clay. The golem's purpose is to protect Lea until the war is over. Ettie bargains for tickets for herself and her sister to flee to Paris along with the golem, named Ava, and Lea. Nothing turns out as planned and the women are forced to do whatever it takes to survive. They are helped by many people, and help many people in turn - falling in love with handsome. reckless Resistance fighters along the way. Ava grows more human each day, but retains the magic she needs to protect Lea. The heron on the cover plays an important part in the story, weaving different groups together and helping Ava bear what she must, as does Azriel, the Angel of Death.

This was an excellent story, well told with characters that seemed real. Its not a happy story and Hoffman stays true to the events and situations of the Holocaust. She doesn't romanticize anything, yet injects the entire story with her signature dreamy narrative and gentle magic. While written for adults, there is nothing in it to prevent young adults from reading it as well. Read it if you love World War II fiction, or just want a really excellent tale of family and hardship and love.

I’m very hit or miss when it comes to books that feature magical realism. The one author whose books are an exception to that is Alice Hoffman. When I saw that she had a new novel coming out, I immediately requested it, especially once I saw that it was set during WWII. I know WWII fiction has dominated the historical fiction market for a while now and that it seems like every possible story has already been told, but I was also sure that Hoffman would bring something new to the table. And I’m happy to say she did not disappoint.

With The World That We Knew, Hoffman delivers a powerful story of love, sacrifice, and survival. It begins in Berlin in 1941, where a Jewish woman named Hanni Kohn is faced with an impossible decision. She knows it’s time to get her family out of Germany before it’s too late, but she also knows that her elderly mother is too sick to travel and will refuse to leave her home anyway. Hanni make the heart wrenching decision to stay with her mother but to send her own daughter, 12-year-old Lea, away so that she has a chance to escape from the Nazis and survive. Hoffman does a beautiful job painting a portrait of a mother who is willing to do absolutely everything she can for her family, even if it means sacrificing herself. Hanni’s love comes through loud and clear in every sentence as she desperately seeks someone who can help get Lea out of Germany.

The story takes a magical turn when Hanni is directed to a rabbi who can help her. It isn’t the rabbi who eventually helps, however. It’s his daughter, Ettie. Ettie has watched her father at work for years and she knows how to create a mystical Jewish creature called a golem. A golem is a creature made out of clay whose sole purpose is to do whatever its creator asks it to do. In this case, Ettie asks the golem, who she and Hanni name Ava, to serve as a protector for Lea and to do everything in its power to ensure she does not fall victim to the Nazis. The rest of the story revolves around Lea, Ava, and Ettie whose lives become intertwined as they each strive for survival in wartime Germany and then France.

I don’t want to say anything else about the plot because I think each of their journeys is best experienced spoiler-free, but I will say that the story explores many powerful themes that resonated with me. It explores love in many different forms, including the love between a mother and child, the love between sisters, and even first love, which somehow still manages to blossom even in the middle of a war zone. Hoffman also explores sacrifice, resistance, and the strength and resilience that it takes to survive in such a dark time. With her inclusion of the golem and even Azrael, the Angel of Death, The World That We Knew almost reads like a fairy tale or fable and it’s that element that raises Hoffman’s version of historical fiction to a level all on its own.

Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors not just because her writing is gorgeous, but also because she uses magical realism in a way that is truly captivating. I don’t know how she manages to do it so consistently and effectively, but the magic she infuses into her stories always ends up seeming so convincing and authentic that it leaves me with a feeling that perhaps there is a little magic in the world after all.

Alice Hoffman’s The World That We Knew (Sept. 24, 2019) comes closest to her The Dovekeepers (2011) in subject matter. Having previously tackled the heroic tale of a few rebel Jewish survivors of the Roman siege of Masada, Hoffman now dramatizes the suspenseful, moving story of a handful of young German and French Jews struggling to survive into adulthood.

Known for her strong female characters and her magic realism, Hoffman sets The World That We Knew in motion with a mother’s determination to help her daughter escape Berlin where families are already being herded onto trains bound for death camps. With only a few valuables to trade for protection, Hanni turns to a local rabbi’s daughter Ettie. Following practices Ettie has overheard when listening to her father and his friends, Ettie creates the female golem Hanni insists on–a magical and powerful non-human protector sculpted from clay and bought to life, totally obedient to the mission for which it was created, and destined to be destroyed once Hanni’s daughter Lea has reached safety. The goal is to get Lea to a distant relative’s home in Paris.

Setting out with Lea and her protector, but soon separated from them, are Ettie and her younger sister Marta. Somewhat safer than Germany, Nazi occupied Paris is a dangerous place, nonetheless. The escape from Berlin was only the beginning of the wartime perils. Hoffman alternates her story between Lea and the golem, Ettie, brothers Victor and Julien (Lea’s Parisian relative’s sons), and Marianne, the Parisian family’s young maid, as they do what they must to survive, to hide or help the French Resistance. Occasionally, their lives intertwine.

The World That we Knew is a tale of tragedy and hope, of reality and magic, of the most monstrous and the noblest in humanity. It is the tale of the Angel of Death, a dancing heron, and a golem named Ava. It is Alice Hoffman at her best.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman was a very different and new experience for me. As a frequent reader of historical fiction, I wanted to approach this book the same way at first. I didn't realize at first that there was some magical realism in this story, so I was a little hesitant about getting into the book. Once I realized what was going on though, it was much easier to be drawn in and follow along with the different people's story lines and how they intertwined. Obviously, this is based on the Holocaust during World War II but I'm not sure how accurate the different events are, including the numbers sprinkled throughout the story, aside from the magical realism. To be honest, the specific numbers always seemed to pull me out of the story and made me step back, throwing me off a little bit. Overall though, it was a different approach to the much done storyline and I appreciate what the author has accomplished.

As a fan of the author I was thrilled to receive this for review. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity, My review opinion is my own. I have read the author's previous works and enjoy her writing but this was one of her most outstanding books to date. l

This was a outstanding read ! I was drawn in by the author's well crafted writing to the time of WWII and 3 strong women she features in this story. The descriptions of their heartbreak jumps off the page to the reader. This is a story of strong smart women, of perseverance through the worse of times and of starting your life over amid the rubble. The author has included outstanding historical research which is some of the best writing I have ever read about WWII. There is heartbreak, magic, war time events and wonderful life events for all 3 women. I loved this book and highly recommend it. Very well done another winning novel by Ms. Hoffman.

I've never read any of this author's books before so I didn't know what to expect. I also wasn't sure if this was something I'd like because of the magical realism.

There have been a lot of WWII books in the last year and some have been done well and others, not so much. This book was interesting and the time period and references were done well. There seemed to be a lot of research put into the writing which gave it the authenticity that is needed and appreciated in a book from this time period.

The characters seemed to be well developed, if not a little confusing at times. This time period is tragic and it's really hard to write about the Holocaust and I feel she did a good job. I'm still not convinced of magical realism for a book like this but it was an o.k. read.

Alice Hoffman is such a wonderful storyteller. I wasn’t sure going into this because of the fantasy aspect of a golem. It was wonderfully laid out. I found myself thinking of the characters when I wasn’t reading. All of the characters and stories were woven together beautifully. In the midst of horrific despair, there remains some hope. I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher. It releases 9/24 and I think it will be well received.

Alice Hoffman’s magic-laced tale of World War II refugees is a different twist on the many stories that have been published recently with the same setting, and same basic plot. Jewish refugees leave Germany for France, then find themselves threatened and forced to retreat deeper into increasingly remote places, often being rounded up and exterminated before they can escape. But in Hoffman’s book, she draws on European and Jewish folklore to summon a golem, a host of angels, and a magical bird to accompany and protect the children as they flee and grow to adulthood against a backdrop of war and constant threat.

In much the same manner as in “Practical Magic” and “The Rules of Magic,” it is easy to become accepting of the fabulous in this book. Fans of Alice Hoffman will enjoy this new novel.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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"In 1941, during humanity’s darkest hour, three unforgettable young women must act with courage and love to survive"⁠
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Alice Hoffman has written some of my favorite novels (The Dovekeepers, Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic, The Museum of Extraordinary Things) but I was a bit apprehensive going into her latest release The World That We Knew (releasing 9/24/19) because I just wasn't sure what I was in for with a story about Nazis and a golem. I also didn't love her last novel, Faithful, so I cleared my mind and went into this story looking to judge it on its own merits. It only took a few chapters and Hoffman had me under her spell again with a story about the best and worst of humanity, all woven together with a ribbon of magic realism.⁠
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁠

This beautifully written novel examines the magic of a mother’s love. Hoffman, known for her masterful use of magical realism, is able to weave mystical powers into the real-life horrors of the Holocaust. Hanni is Jewish and living in Berlin in 1941; she is very aware of the fate that awaits her, but she will not allow harm to come to her daughter, Lea. Hanni begs the daughter of a rabbi to create a golem, a magical creature who will be able to protect Lea as she escapes Germany. There are multiple narrators, and each become interconnected by their personal experiences trying to survive the Holocaust. Hoffman expertly examines the themes of love and survival. The book is equal parts heartbreak and hope. I would highly recommend it!
4.5 Stars