For fans of Hoffman, this is what I would refer to as "kicking it old school."
Classic Hoffman with magical realism, beautiful characters, a multi-layered story, and many nods towards the natural world.
Told with chapters that alternate character point of view, I loved every character in this book! This is the first time that I know of that Hoffman has tackled the WWII time period. Based on a true story that was relayed to her by a complete stranger of being whisked off by her Jewish parents in order to survive the war. Fascinating, sad, yet hopeful. Highly recommend!

Discussed on Episode 75 of Book Cougars Podcast
https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2019/episode-75

When her beloved nanny, Hannah, left without a trace in the summer of 1988, seven-year-old Jocelyn Holt was devastated. 30 years later Hannah returns and tries to resume her role in the household. Buried secrets, loyalties questioned and threatened and then it's all revealed. Definitely worth the read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the electronic ARC I was able to read and review
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.
If you are a fan of Alice Hoffman, you will not be disappointed with this one! I had been reading quite a few WW II stories lately so was prepared for this one to be just ok. No so!! The author did a wonderful job of researching and including so much history into this, I felt like I was immersed in this time period. The love and the pain everyone went through felt so real.
there were a lot of characters so I did find myself reading a bit more slowly to make sure I was keeping track of everyone. But all the stories wove together and connect in the end.
Excellent read!

A heartbreaking story set during World War II that is so well done you will find it difficult to put down. Alice Hoffman's prose is, as always, beautifully written. The characters are all so fully developed you can feel them. The plot is a little different in that this story has a prevalent Jewish mysticism woven throughout. And - there is a golem created to protect a young Jewish girl who was sent to France to take shelter from the war. There are angels on earth as well. All the horrors of World War II are still front and center as France was overtaken by the Germans and the atrocities the Germans inflicted on the Jews are everywhere. Still, there is love and hope and courage throughout the story.

I picked up this book because it was by Alice Hoffman and I have really enjoyed her other books; however, when I saw it was about World War II I put off reading it because every time I read a novel set in this time it destroys me and leaves me with a great sadness. I'm glad I read this - it's a really good story with a lot of historical fact in it along with the fiction.

Thanks to Alice Hoffman and Simon & Schuster through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What books are on your Most Anticipated Fall 2019 Books? #TheWorldThatWeKnew was one of mine, and it did not disappoint!

To be honest, I’m not sure what I was expecting heading into this book. I’ve read Hoffman’s other books (Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic) and I really enjoyed them. I love how she incorporates a magical element into her stories.

While Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic gave me more Holloween/witchy vibes, this book was completely different. Set in WWII, a mother creates a golem (in Jewish legend, it’s a clay figure brought to life through magic) to protect her daughter from the Nazis. I’m already a sucker for books based on the WWII time period, so this was the perfect blend of magical realism and historical fiction.

I quickly grew attached to the characters, especially Lea and Ava. Along with other characters (main and secondary), I was even introduced to parts of history I’d never heard about. (Unfortunately, there were parts that felt forced on Hoffman’s part...almost like she digressed from fiction into nonfiction narration, and I didn’t love when this happened.)

Overall, I felt like this was a wonderful addition to WWII historical fiction. I’m now adding Hoffman to my autobuy author list because I’ve really enjoyed every book I’ve read by her so far!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Publishing for gifting me with an ARC of Alice Hoffman’s newest novel, The World That We Knew. In exchange for the ARC I offer my unbiased review.

For those who love the mesmerizing, mystical worlds that Alice Hoffman creates, you will not be disappointed. Set during the turbulent times of the Nazi regime’s rise to power, we are introduced to a cast of valiant, heroic women who each must choose what they are willing to fight for. Survival won’t be easy and the horrors they encounter are monstrous but even during the darkest moments magic & miracles exist.

With tremendous amount of research and exquisite amounts of detail, Alice Hoffman gives readers a master class in WWII History, from the brave resistance fighters to the cruel sardonic Nazi’s and their proxies. We are also introduced to the spiritual world of Kabbalah ( Jewish Mythicism) and the brave choices ordinary men & women were forced to make. It’s a story of courage and love, survival and sacrifice. A beautiful story and one that has unique touches only Alice Hoffman can provide.

Magical realism or fantasy are not my forte. In fact - I would say....I avoid books of that nature - except for Alice Hoffman. Somehow a golem is totally believable in her books.

World War II. Jews in Berlin. Nazis. We all know what happened so I'll jump over that. This book is about a woman's need for survival. It's about what a mother will do for her daughter. It's about life, love, relationships and a sprinkle of magic. It's pure Alice Hoffman.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The World That We Knew is a horrific and heartbreaking story set during the Holocaust. Hoffman, as always, has a true gift of storytelling. Each character’s perspective was fully fleshed out, and you truly cared about each and everyone’s journey. Hanni’s love for her daughter was something to behold. And Ava is an amazingly well written character, and I enjoyed her introspective of what it means to be human.

This is a work of historical fiction, but it also is woven through with elements of magical realism. I was skeptical at first how this would play out in the book, but it was truly well done and didn’t distract from the horrific atrocities committed in the book.

I loved Hoffman’s note to the reader at the beginning of the book of how she came up with this story because of a very real encounter with a Holocaust survivor. It reminded the reader that though this book may be a work of fiction, the events of the story really did happen to some and are to be remembered.

The World That We Knew is a compelling read and very much worth reading.

I loved this book. I devoured it in one day. Hoffman is at her best when she blends magical realism (which is what she's best known for) with her Jewish heritage, as she did in THE DOVEKEEPERS. In this book, she uses magic to create a creature, conjured against religious law by a rabbi's daughter, meant to protect a girl from the horrors of World War II.

As in other stories by Hoffman, this book focuses on many different characters, sometimes for only a chapter, so as to help the reader grasp the various motivations behind the rebel saviors who kept so many Jewish children from capture during the Holocaust. The only downside to this is that the reader ends up caring for everyone, wishing a happy ending for all, when the nature of the setting ensures the impossibility of such a wish.

I have read many of Hoffman's novels, loving almost every one of them, but this book is truly an accomplishment. While I felt this story moved a bit fast (which I'm sure was done in order to cover a long range of time), it served as reminder that are still voices and stories we haven't heard from the war, still heroes whose songs ave not been sung. I still think THE DOVEKEEPERS was Hoffman's masterpiece, but this book is definitely right behind it as one of her very best.

The World That We Knew tells the story of how a desperate, loving mother, Hanni, who knows that her family will be murdered by the Nazis, but is resolved to save her daughter. Lea is only twelve, too young to travel to Paris on her own, but Hanni must stay with her bedridden mother. She goes to a rabbi for help, but he turns her away. The rabbi’s daughter, though, sees a chance to save her sister and herself, if they can all travel together with an adult to escort them. That adult is Ava, and with Ava, Alice Hoffman introduces the folk magic that is a hallmark of her work.

Ava is a golem created to protect Lea. While Lea sometimes blames her taking her from her family, she comes to rely on her and recognize how important she is. Meanwhile Ava is learning more about the world and experiencing the feelings that make her wonder where the line between golem and human lies.



The World That We Knew is about the Holocaust, so it is heartbreaking. It is also filled with humanity and heroism, much of it based on real people who sheltered and conducted Jews to safety during the Vichy regime. I would not read this out and about in public because sobbing can be embarrassing and I cried far too much.

I think it is a wonderful exploration of what it means to be human. After all, through one way of looking at it, Ava the golem was more human than the Nazis and their collaborators. Of course, perhaps that brutality should not be thought of as inhumanity since human beings resort to it time and again. There is a lot to think about and discuss and it would be an excellent book for book groups. The writing is beautiful, the story is thought-provoking, and the characters will enchant you while they break your heart.

The World That We Knew will be released on September 24th. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

The World That We Knew at Simon & Schuster
Alice Hoffman author site

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A hauntingly beautiful tale where fantasy and history blend. The writing is exquisite, but at times I found it difficult to differentiate who was who and who did what. Recommended if you're in the mood for a magical realism/WWII story. Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

The problem with Alice Hoffman is that she ruins me for other books for a long time after hers. All other writing seems to pale in comparison; other worlds lack depth and richness. I feel almost hung over after finishing The World That We Knew. I read it over the course of a few hours and I feel stunned and almost bruised with feeling for Lea and Ava and Julien and the Heron. Even peripheral characters swept in with stories all their own which enraged me and tore at my heart. Wonderful, beautiful, magical. I loved every word. The World That We Knew is The Nightingale meets The Golem and The Ginni with Hoffman’s trademark silken prose and magic swirled in.

Alice Hoffman is an author that I’ve enjoyed for many years. I am a huge fan and I’m so excited that I got to read this book early. I absolutely loved this book and I could not get enough of it. I found this story to be so unique and so complex around a time in our world history that has been written about so many times. Having studied history and read so many stories of WWII, Alice Hoffman writes of this period as no other author has with her magical realism taking you through so many emotions with these characters. She will take you on different adventures and then brings them all together. She shows how history and magic can make a beautiful story about women surviving through the tough times. I highly recommend this book.

The World that We Knew is a masterpiece. It touches on the darkest moments in human history. It was breath taking. I was entranced on page one. The writing was fluid, and the magical realism fit in the story perfectly. World War 2 has become a fond interest of mine in the last two years, and this story did justice to that period of time. Everyone should read this book because if we are to move forward we must never forget where we came from. I recommend this book with highest regards. It is the best book I have read this year, hands down. thank you to Simon and Schuster for the egalley.

I was completely mesmerized by this story that sent me to the internet to learn more about Golem’s and Jewish mysticism. My personal research has yielded some very interesting information, and I hope if you pick this book up, you do a little searching of your own.

The characters were fascinating and brought to life with so many details that made them seem real. Since it is a book that deals with Jewish people during the years that they were persecuted and killed by the Nazi’s there are losses throughout the book. Sadly, I don’t think anyone could expect otherwise, but it’s still difficult to read about. The main character’s have lost close family members, and how they each react to the losses is not surprising.

From cities to the countryside, Alice does a spectacular job of describing the little nuances that help me to visualize the settings. The addition of a heron that the Golem, Ava, becomes friends with was also a delightful touch adding a bit more magic to an already intriguing story.


Alice Hoffman has outdone herself with this book. I highly recommend it and feel it is definitely a five star book.

Oh my heart hurts. Just finished this beautiful thing. I’ve always been fascinated with the Jewish community - the people, traditions and history. Alice Hoffman’s new book gives us a sweet/sad tale of several lives who are going through the impossibly tragic time of the Holocaust. Adding a few fairy tale like elements made this so dear to me. It was amazing to be able to read this book by one of my favorite authors! A relevant story for today’s scary world.
She did not disappoint!

Alice Hoffman's new novel goes back to the worst time in human history when the Nazis were fighting for world dominance. The story begins in 1941 and focuses on three very young girls in Berlin. Hanni Kohn knows she must send her twelve-year-old daughter, Ettie, away. It seems like an impossibility, but mothers will do anything to save their children. AH turns to magical realism and Ettie finds herself under the protection of a woman called Ava.

This novel is notable for its focus on young people trying to stay alive and help in the resistance of the forties. Ettie's travels take her to France, from orphanages to farm families. Ava is a powerful force taking care Ettie without telling her some horrible truths that would make it difficult for Ettie to go on.

An older neighbor of the Kohn family, Lea, is also on the run with her sister. They attempt to flee Berlin by train, and with that, the horror begins. Lea, too, will run and find protection with families in very rural areas outside Vichy, trying to stay alive for her sister's sake.

The suffering endured and witnessed by the young people in this novel is profound and powerful. I cannot imagine it as a mother or as an innocent and protected young girl. AH gives us cruelty and kindness. Both are possible in those tragic historical times. We must remember the children who perished, and those who survived. More importantly, we need to pay tribute to those who resisted bravely but despite their struggle lost their young lives.

Thank you to Alice Hoffman, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC (Sept. 24th).

Although I haven’t read The Marriage of Opposites or The Rules of Magic (yet!), I absolutely adored The Dovekeepers, so I was excited to dive into Alice Hoffman’s newest novel, historical fiction set during World War II. After her daughter is almost raped, Hanni Kohn decides that she must send her daughter Lea away from Germany. Because she must stay to protect her mother, Hanni decides to create a mystical Jewish creature, a golem, whose purpose in life will be to protect Ettie. With the help of Ettie, a rabbi’s daughter, they bring to life Ava, and Ava, Lea and Ettie’s path converge in France, which is not quite the safe haven for Jews they were hoping for.

Hoffman does an excellent job of mixing in the fantastical element of Ava into reality, making the jump toward magical realism feel more believable, though still not quite palatable for my taste. From the story, you can tell Hoffman thoroughly researched the Jewish travails in France. Unfortunately, I felt that her extensive research lead to some of the backgrounds of the side characters being covered too extensively so that the author could squeeze in some interesting historical facts.

Though not nearly as good as The Dovekeepers, The World That We Knew will get plenty of outstanding reviews from some who love Alice Hoffman’s gorgeous writing, but only three stars from people like me who struggle with magical realism.

How can such a vile topic be written about so beautifully? Alice Hoffman has taken a story of hatred, injustice and heart wrenching loss, and crafted it into one of love, survival and life.

In a world where parents are forced to give up their children to save them from the Nazi death camps, three women come together to create a golem, a clay figure from Jewish legend brought to life by a mystical ritual, to keep safe one of their daughters until she is delivered into freedom.

Stunningly written!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Alice Hoffman is an amazing storyteller. This book did not disappoint. She took some terrible events from WWII and created a story with great characters. The main character and the secondary characters were all interesting and kept you reading the story. She also has a way to weave a spiritual aspect in her stories that makes it just flow so beautifully. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,