Alice Hoffman is a master of magical realism and heartfelt storytelling. Her notable works include the beloved novel Practical Magic, the essay collection The Best Dog in the World, and the ghost story anthology Echoes. She writes compelling stories that often explore themes of love, family, and the extraordinary in everyday life.
World That We Knew
World That We Knew
Synopsis
In 1941 Berlin, a desperate mother pays a rabbi's daughter to create a golem — a being made of river clay and animated by ritual — to protect her daughter Lea as she flees to France. The golem, Ava, develops a fierce, almost maternal devotion to Lea that outlasts any human bond, following her through hidden farmhouses, resistance networks, and narrow escapes as the war closes in.
Alice Hoffman folds her signature magical realism into a grounded account of Jewish flight and resistance in occupied France, tracing a found family of refugees, resistance fighters, and one uncanny protector bound together by loss and survival.
Vibe
Genres
Characters
LeaProtagonist
A young girl fleeing Nazi Germany and occupied France.
AvaProtagonist
A golem created to protect Lea, whose devotion grows beyond her intended purpose.
Subjects
Edition
The World That We KnewPaperback, 2020
400 pages
Simon & Schuster PaperbacksLanguage: EnglishISBN: 97815011375875 editions available
