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𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕎𝕖 𝔽𝕝𝕖𝕨 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕪: 𝔸 ℕ𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝕠𝕗 𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕖 𝔽𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕪

This is a quick read for a young audience, giving a glimpse of what Anne Frank’s life might have been like before her family was forced to hide.

The story is told without a lot of details. I’d rather be more immersed in the story by being buried in the details. It is important to remember it isn’t written for adults though, and children might love this mystery.

I like seeing a mystery series that involves history for young people. This story brings a different look at Anne Frank’s life. Though it is fiction, it gives the reader a look at her life before tragedy struck her family.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with this ebook to read and review.

Alice Hoffman’s When We Flew Away is a beautifully written novel that blends historical fiction facts, believable could be events, with deep emotional resonance. Her signature poetic prose brings the characters and their struggles to life, weaving a story of love, loss, and hope. There was a fantastic rich atmosphere and moving storytelling. I loved seeing Anne Frank from this perspective and what her life could have been before their family went into hiding. I like the spunky attitude she has and seeing how she interacted with her family before the diary.

A poignant and captivating read that lingers in the heart—perfect for fans of Hoffman’s enchanting style!

I wanted to love this book as I like reading about Anne Frank and this time period in history. I don't think this was the book for me at this time. I had to DNF at about 20%. The writing is excellent, and the story an important one, especially to read about Anne Frank before she and her family went into hiding, but it just wasn't for me right now. I will give this a chance at a later time.

Even if you didn’t read “The Diary of Anne Frank” in your school years, you’re likely familiar with her story. This novel, written for middle-grade readers, imagines what life was like for the Frank family in the years leading up to their hiding in the attic, which is portrayed in Anne’s diary. In this fictional account, the glimmers of the creative, bold, intelligent young woman we know from her diary are given more room to grow. We know how Anne and her family’s story will end, which lends a foreboding bent to the book but also gives an important historical context to young readers. (Recommendation being sent to subscribers of WordSmarts.com)

I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn’t. The characters seemed flat with no room to really grow. I was not left hanging or left excited to pick it up again to see what happens next. The plot moved very slowly, sometimes taking pages and pages to have the character be finished thinking and wondering before anything actually happened. I ended up not finishing because it did not really capture my interest like I had hoped it would.

Part of our 8th grade curriculum is reading The Diary of Anne Frank, and I love that this book exists. It deals with Anne's life in the period before she goes into hiding in the annex. Well-researched and so emotional to read!

I didn’t go into this read knowing it was geared towards a YA audience, but I do feel it fits an even younger one.

It was charming and clearly a lot of research had to have been done to authenticate a book like this, but it was just too simplistic. I would have loved more details. But overall I did enjoy it and would absolutely recommend it for further reading on Anne Frank.

Thank you to Netgalley for the E-ARC.

Most of us are aware of the life of Ann Frank, but this shares a brief period of time before her world changed, as her family is celebrating her 13th birthday. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of what her life might have been like before the occupation.

Is basically the story of Anne Frank and her family before the Diary. While it's historical fiction you can tell that Hoffman did her research in order to do Anne and her family Justice. Even thought this is middle grade adults will enjoy it as well. I do recommend having tissues handy.

This book was so emotional. This was difficult to read at times but was powerful and needs to always be remembered. . This book was well written. Must for all shelves.

"When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary" by Alice Hoffman (2024)

Three main questions emerged before I cracked open this fictionalized account of Anne Frank's life before going into hiding.
1) Will this book's status as historical fiction force me to stop frequently while reading to Google whether a particular detail is fact or fiction? (Answer: Yes. At least a dozen times. The fiction to truth split of my Googling was about 50-50.)
2) Will this book be able to stand alone as a compelling read for 8-11 year olds who haven't yet read "The Diary of a Young Girl?" (Answer: No, I don't think it will. More context is needed.)
3) Is it even an ethical exercise to fictionalize any part of Anne Frank's life? (Answer: Yes, to a point. There's value here for teen and adult readers familiar with her story. But I think the Franks have been recaptured so often they're overexposed. Enough already).

Hoffman writes beautifully, and renders Anne's pre-hiding life in chilling, fairytale-laced prose (evil creatures lurk in shadows and the birds all flew away in fear...the dictionary definition of foreshadowing). It is extremely well researched and includes references to much that is known by historians about Anne and her family. But, I think the book's biggest fans won't be its intended audience (middle grade readers, age 8-11). Anne Frank, for better or worse, looms large in the imaginations of many adults today who think they know something about the Holocaust because of her diary (sadly, if this is all they've read on the subject they don't know much). It's problematic that for so many people, Anne Frank and her diary are forced to stand in for all the six million who perished. But all of this makes for a big market for this book, which does add some real historical context to the lead-up to the Frank family entering the Secret Annex. Some people might not know about all the discrimination, violence, deporations and murders that preceded the family's move. They may not know that families like hers had no way to escape their fate, but they worked all possible angles and avenues. The rest is a matter of taste: I don't see any real value in giving feelings and personalities different from those in the Diary to Anne and her family members - though of course historical fiction does this all the time. I wonder if we must further indulge readers of her diary (and its many media incarnations) who can't seem to get enough of these "characters?"

This was a quick read that shed light on Anne Frank’s early life. She was as spunky, headstrong, and full of life as we all assumed from her diary, and it was an honor to read her early fictional story. Definitely written for middle school readers more than high school.

This is a wonderful, poignant read for all ages about a beloved, tragic historical figure: Anne Frank. It was bittersweet to watch her life unfold as her 13th birthday was celebrated. Totally unaware of what was to come.

The author makes the character of Anne Frank come to life, even for those who have read <I>The Diary of Anne Frank</I> and feel they already have a good grasp of what Anne was like. By focusing on the period from May 1940 when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands until the day the Frank family went into hiding in July 1942, the story centers on Anne as she comes to realize the future may never be what she hoped. Scenes explore her relationships with her family- father, mother, sister, grandmother - and how her understanding and appreciation of them shifts as she becomes a teenager. The changes in her neighborhood and the city reflect the worsening conditions for citizens and especially for the Jewish families in Amsterdam. Readers will catch glimpses of Anne's spirit, intelligence, and imagination and their hearts will break for her and all the possibilities she was never able to explore.

One of the themes of the book is the power of story. There is the obvious connection to the powerful description of the Franks and their last months of living openly in the city. But there is also the narrative that the Nazis are telling each other, the inhabitants of the territories they control, and the world. Anne's grandmother tells her, "Evil people tell themselves a story they come to believe. They tell themselves they are good, and everyone else is inhuman. They tell themselves they are doing what heaven would will them to do." When a neighbor's husband is taken away and Anne says they should have done something about it, her mother tells her they are. "We're refusing to believe the story they're telling about us."

The author's note highlights how the strong, clear voice of Anne Frank in her diary was an inspiration when she first read the book and realized that a young girl could be an author. She also points out parallels between how countries around the world refused to admit Jewish refugees fleeing from Nazi persecution back then and how often refugees from various conflicts are still turned away today. This is a powerful book that will leave readers with questions about whether the world has learned anything from the past to help find its way to a better future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was heartbreaking and so emotional. This was difficult to read at times as we know what fate awaited the Frank family and wish Anne’s hopes and dreams would have come true. This book was well written and so moving. This book should be read by everyone.

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.