The World That We Knew A Novel

Alice Hoffman — 2019

This instant New York Times bestseller and longlist recipient for the 2020 Andrew Carnegie Medal takes place in 1941, during humanity’s darkest hour, and follows three unforgettable young women who must act with courage and love to survive. “[A] hymn to the power of resistance, perseverance, and enduring love in dark times…gravely beautiful…Hoffman the storyteller continues to dazzle.” —THE NEW YORK TIMES “Oh, what a book this is! Hoffman’s exploration of the world of good and evil, and the constant contest between them, is unflinching; and the humanity she brings to us—it is a glorious experience.” —ELIZABETH STROUT, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Olive Kitteridge “Alice Hoffman’s new novel will break your heart, and then stitch it back together piece by piece. It’s my new favorite Hoffman book.” —JODI PICOULT, New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light 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. Lea and Ava travel from Paris, where Lea meets her soulmate, to a convent in western France known for its silver roses; from a school in a mountaintop village where three thousand Jews were saved. Meanwhile, Ettie is in hiding, waiting to become the fighter she’s destined to be. What does it mean to lose your mother? How much can one person sacrifice for love? In a world where evil can be found at every turn, we meet remarkable characters that take us on a stunning journey of loss and resistance, the fantastical and the mortal, in a place where all roads lead past the Angel of Death and love is never ending.

Reviews

Eva Ströberg@cphbirdlady

Jul 19, 2024

Only 3 stars. Holocaust is a probably one of the most written subjects in books and I feel this book has nothing new or interesting the add into the story, sure there's this Jewish mysticism surrounding it all, but I still feel that it's too little element to add into the story.

♡@miam

Jan 7, 2024

Got this book after finish reading another historical fiction collection.. and it intrigued me to have one. This book set was around 1944 when Nazi refugees was around World War II, the humanity's darkest hour with one of the possible chance goes to bring a Jewish creature back to life. In the world where evil can be found at every hour, we meet remarkable characters that take us on a stunning journey of loss and resistance, the fantastical and the mortal, in a place where all roads lead past the Angel of Death and love is never ending. This book will show you about the journey of Ettie, Lea, and Ava. They separated to Paris while Ettie was hiding until she became a fighter as she destined to be. The magical realism appeared most of this book; that quite remind me of Fantastic Beast in more modern era but dark place.. I love the way every early phrases of this book always started with, "When the world was..." or the descriptive places about the situations as a cliche technique to show the world was completely changed and we never knew that. The World That We Knew is a book about survival, loss, and love. One of the scene that showed me how to bring creature to life, why humans fought so hard to stay alive because the love was everlasting. We had no idea whether or not they would still see the angel when they tended to sick and broken. However, it taught me to felt the pulse and human blood on its veins. Like what love did: it was a miracle and sacrifice. The grief as a never-ending and we carried it with us, as we could no longer speak the language of birds and angels, nor hear the fish in the streams. If you are looking for a whole world war with gun shot noises to survive everywhere, you might not find it in here. But this book will offer you many meaningful quotes about life, the magical creatures, and love strings to people who eternally entwined. To think in blue, in green, in starlight, in song, in a blessing, in beauty, and in gratitude. "Your grief won't go away; it's not a door you can close, or a book you can put back on the shelf, or a kiss you can give back once its given. This is the way the world is now— keep the worst thing to yourself, like a bone in your throat."

Charlotte High@charlie_robin

Jan 29, 2023

I started and finished this book in about 4 days, I couldn’t put it down - it was beautiful and sad and heartbreaking. I’ve recommended it to everyone. Possibly one of my top favourite books I’ve read!

Chantale@canadianbookaddict

Sep 15, 2021

This just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters for some reason.

Elena Barnes@elenathereader

Sep 2, 2021

“She tried not to think about his parting, and she wondered if love was like that, and if all mortals needed to close their eyes against the future and what it might bring.” “That was how evil spoke. It made its own corrupt sense; it swore that the good were evil, and that evil had come to save mankind. It brought up ancient fears and scattered them on the street like pearls. To fight what was wicked, magic and faith were needed. This was what one must turn to when there was no other option.” This book was absolutely heartbreaking, and beautiful. At its core it is a story about the Holocaust, but also about what it means to be human, and what it means to love. The juxtaposition between the cruel reality that the characters face, and the brilliant mysticism and folklore that is woven throughout is stunning. We follow the lives of multiple girls, and two brothers as they try to survive the war, and are intertwined by fate. Ava is technically not human, but yet so much more human than many of the evil, inhumane characters in the book. The magic, and the imagery created by the author is outstanding. Overall, it is a haunting tale (in the best way possible). It doesn’t shy away from the horrors that took place, but it also speaks of hope and the beauty of life.