The World that We Knew by Alice Hoffman

The World that We Knew by Alice Hoffman is a piece of historical fiction with a dash of magical realism thrown into it. It's a book about maternal love, mysticism, and the lengths humans will go through to survive another day.

As World War II heats up around her, Hanni Kohn knows that she must save her daughter Lea by sending Lea away from Berlin.  With the help of a rabbi's daughter, Hanni rounds up a caretaker for Lea and sends them off, knowing that she'll never see her daughter again.  The novel then follows the exploits of Lea, the caretaker, and the rabbi's daughter.

Once you settle in and accept the magical realism (something I really struggle with) and just go with the idea that these types of things can actually happen in a "normal environment," it's an exciting adventure. It's also full of terrible questions.  What does it mean to be human? When is it okay to break the rules that hold society together when society is falling apart?  When is taking another person's life acceptable?  When is all hope lost?

I am not sure I'd recommend this as a book to read around the holidays, but it was a good yarn. Hoffman is a prolific writer (she wrote Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic) and I can see why she's so popular. Her writing is sparse, clear, and yet poetic at the same time. I'll happily read more by this author, despite her forays into magical realism.