I picked up WHEN WE FLEW AWAY by Alice Hoffman as part of my preparations for a trip to Amsterdam, and I’m so glad I did. The novel beautifully captures Anne Frank’s life before her family went into hiding, offering a vivid and poignant portrait of her world. Hoffman’s writing brought Anne to life in a way that felt both intimate and deeply moving. It’s a heartbreaking yet inspiring story that gave me a new perspective on Anne’s remarkable courage and creativity. A truly unforgettable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This book wrecked me in the most heart wrenching way. I am already advocating for it to be a choice novel in my school's system. What a powerful novel.

Most people have heard of Anne Frank and her famous diary. But most have not heard or read the story BEFORE she goes into hiding. This is the story I didn't know I needed to know and now that I do... I am a better person and teacher for it. I have read extensively on WWII, the Holocaust and Anne Frank. Despite being historical fiction, much of what is contained in this novel matches up with what I have read and researched to be true. While I know the conversations and some of the thoughts inside Anne's head had to be fabricated for the storytelling, it was done in a super realistic way that makes it seem as if it were really what happened. I feel like I learned a little bit more than I knew before as well.

110% highly recommend this novel to everyone.

I had sworn off reading any more Holocaust stories, but I made an exception for this one because of the author. I should have stuck with Plan A. I don't want to take anything away from Alice Hoffman's talented writing (I love her books) but I just can't seem to get any enjoyment from reading this subject matter. Even though it's an important part of history, its awfully heavy and depressing for a middle school level audience. My thanks to Scholastic Press for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I have really enjoyed all the books I have read by Alice Hoffman. When I was younger, I read The Diary of Anne Frank, and it impacted me so much as a young girl. I loved reading Alice Hoffman's imaging of the years that led up to the family going into hiding. It was really well done, and I was entranced. I finished it in one day. This is a beautiful and heart wrenching story. This is considered young adult book, but I would recommend it to anyone.

This was okay. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting from a middle grade about Anne Frank before she went into hiding, but I was a bit underwhelmed. It was realistic in the sense that it was easy to imagine that that's what her life was like before her infamous diary, but again, I was just underwhelmed. I guess it's not fair to say that a real girl's imagined life doesn't live up to expectations, but I think I mean more of the storytelling than her actual life. The writing kind of made everything forgettable so I don't think I'll think about this one again.

A beautiful, poignant story. While the novel is fictional, it's based on facts, and it's interesting to see a glimpse into what Anne's life could have been like before the diary.

I read the Diary of Anne Frank when I was 11. Ever since I read anything associated with her.
This book depicts the story of Ann before the family was forced to disappear into hiding in 1942.
It’s simple enough for children but thorough enough for adult readers.
The one aspect that I didn’t care for was the mystical elements. I didn’t think they added much to the story.

What a fascinating new story about an amazing character in history. I really loved this new addition to the historical plot. This author is such a great historical fiction writer, and this was a great exaple.

When I saw this book pop up, I knew I had to read it! I have read the Diary of Anne Frank, and visited where her family hid in Amsterdam, so I was curious to see a fiction book based on a historical person before she wrote the book that made her famous.

This was so interesting! I know it's fiction, but Hoffman does such a great job of bringing this story to life. It really adds to the depth of that time in history, and further highlights how the Frank family, like so many others, were just going about their normal lives before being thrust into a terrible reality.

I definitely recommend this book.

Yes, this is a fictional account of a historical figure and event. But Hoffman did an amazing job with making it seem more non-fiction than fiction. She pulled all the threads of a well-known historical figure and wove a story that was real, plausible and heartfelt.

I think that any book that attempts to honor and teach about the history of Anne Frank or any part of Jewish WWII history is worthwhile. I like that the history behind this book and the fact that it was written in conjunction with the Anne Frank House is notable in that it accurately portrays a story that we sort of knew, but now have an opportunity to know even more. I love that. The writing is fresh and the story is about as good as any story out there. Must read.

When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary is a beautifully crafted and poignant story that captures the essence of Anne Frank’s life before her family was forced into hiding. This fictionalized account vividly brings young Anne to life, offering a heart-wrenching glimpse into her world and her dreams before they were overshadowed by the horrors of war. Although fictional, the story resonates deeply with the challenges and injustices we continue to see today. I was both moved and saddened, feeling the weight of the injustices that Anne and her family faced. The author captures Anne’s remarkable strength, resilience, and spirit in a way that makes her loss even more heartbreaking. It’s a hauntingly beautiful story that honors Anne’s legacy.

A beautiful and heart-rending tale of the fictional life “before” the Frank family goes into hiding. Devastating, hopeful, and eye-opening. Don't let the fact that this is YA keep you from reading it. Sometimes the greatest stories are told through simple language, but the impact is felt all the same.

I am a fan of Alice Hoffman's writing, a really enjoy many of her books. With that, I was eager to request a copy of When We Flew Away, but I find that I'm not able to put aside my trepitidition about the novelization of a murdered teen's diary and life story, even by a gifted author. One day I might be ready, but I'm not yet. Too soon, still, for me.

Published in partnership with the Anne Frank House, this poignant middle-grade novel tells the story of Anne and her family before their years spent in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

Many around the world have come to know Anne through her diary. But this novel does something profound by focusing on the discrimination that led her family to seek refuge, reminding us how quickly hate can turn from a flicker into a flame.

We see Anne affected by the changes around her, including early curfews, stars sewn to coats, and restrictions on when and where Jews can shop, with the timeline taking readers up to the Frank family’s first day behind the bookcase.

In addition to these real-world events, Alice Hoffman explores the growing resentment against the Jewish people through Anne’s imagination, with wolves, dark moths, and looming shadows appearing as metaphors for discrimination. To me, this was a powerful depiction of how children perceive prejudice and I think it will resonate with younger readers.

If Anne’s beautiful words of hope and courage have ever touched your heart, I think this lyrical book will do the same. While fictional, it’s rooted in truth, well-researched, and timely. I’m so grateful to Alice Hoffman for providing this window into Anne’s world, reminding us how necessary it is to remember and honor the past.

Tells the story of Anne Frank before her family goes into hiding.

As per usual, Hoffman really created quite a masterpiece. Between the building of all the characters, the plot and some of the metaphors, it was just amazing. I read most of the book in one sitting.

Thanks so much for the ARC!

A beautiful novel giving a bit more insight (and maybe introducing a new audience) to the time before the Franks went into hiding.

I have read a lot of books about the Holocaust. I figured I wouldn't learn much of anything new from this book and I was happily wrong. I came away with new information about a tragic subject but I also came away with a better view of Anne and her whole family, as a person.
Alice Hoffman did such an excellent job of painting a picture of who Anne was. She also did an eery job of portraying Amsterdam at this time, the stress, the fear and, the pressure everyone was feeling. It's a tense book, very easy to read thanks to Ms. Hoffman's skill and very intense. Even knowing full well how the story turns out you find yourself hoping for a miracle. This is a book that will stick with me for a long time to come.
Thank you to Scholastic Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite authors writing about one of my most revered stories, I had to request this book. However, I was greatly disappointed. Not that anything went wrong, it’s that nothing happens. The writing is lovely – it’s Alice Hoffman – but the book doesn’t really add anything new to the story, except maybe put a few warts on a beloved heroine. Ann comes across, frankly, as a bit of a brat for a lot of the story. I learned much more about her sister and their family – who all fared much better in the writing, if not in fate. I think this book is just an example of the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” There just was no purpose except, I guess humanizing a hero – showing the less flattering side to her. But, why?

Thank you to NetGalley and scholastic Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Anne Frank is one of the Holocaust’s most well-known victims. The Diary of Anne Frank is read all over the world, and while it gives us insight into who she was and her experiences in hiding, it doesn’t always give a full window into her life.True to Alice Hoffman’s unique style, she has breathed new life into the story of a young girl before she went into hiding, Despite knowing about the last portion of her life, I wanted to know who Anne was outside of the attic.

My own father was only a little bit younger than Anne Frank, and went into hiding with his younger brother and parents, as well as three cousins. They were in Poland, and all seven made it out alive. So this book is especially poignant to me, because while my own father survived while she didn’t. One thing I learned quickly in life was that while my father’s early experiences defined who he was as a person, he was also a complete person outside of those experiences. Before he went into hiding, he was a young boy who loved to learn and spoke three languages fluently by that time—Yiddish, Polish, and Hebrew. He had a close-knit family that included grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. By the end of the war, he had only four cousins (one was placed into a Catholic orphanage because she was too young to hide out), his parents, and his brother.

Annelies (Anne) Frank was born in Germany, and her family moved from Germany to Amsterdam after Hitler’s rise to power, to escape the influence of the Nazis and the failing economy in Germany. The book starts when she is eleven, and covers the period of the arrival of Nazis in the Netherlands up until they have to go into hiding. The amount of historical research and detail is incredible, and I especially appreciated how Hoffman captured Anne’s optimistic and creative nature in this story.

I can’t recall the exact quote or who said it, but as I read this book I realized that Hoffman has crafted a work where the freedoms of Anne, her family, and other Jews were systematically stripped away. It mirrors the experiences of my father before his family went into hiding—each day it felt like there was a new law passed limiting Jews from one thing or another. And this book really embodied the way Jews lost freedom in Nazi-occupied countries: slowly at first and then all at once.

Throughout the book, Hoffman depicts Anne as a dreamer, a creative and imaginative young girl who aspires to be an author. It’s a bittersweet story, emotional in all the right ways, getting to meet a young girl and to know that she had achieved her dream despite her early and untimely death. It’s clear that Hoffman took pains to make this as accurate as possible while still making this story accessible to young readers. I chose to read this because it had the potential to be a powerhouse of a book, especially at a time when Anne Frank’s lived experiences, her humanity, and even her life at all is thrown into question in recent days. This brings to mind all the times that Hoffman has crafted Jewish characters in her books, as well as The Dovekeepers, a book that takes place during the siege of Masada after a failed uprising against the Romans, another one I highly recommend. Anne Frank is often young people’s first experience with the Holocaust, and this book would be a fantastic addition to any library or classroom to counter the dehumanizing effects before and during the Holocaust. I recommend this one to everyone.