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

About this book

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father, Anne's journal, written while she and her family were in hiding during World War II, has become one of the central texts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, as well as a work of literary genius.

With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family's life is turned inside out, blow by blow, restriction by restriction. Prejudice, loss, and terror run rampant, and Anne is forced to bear witness as ordinary people become monsters, and children and families are caught up in the inescapable tide of violence.

In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she will become a writer who will go on to change the world as we know it.

Critically acclaimed author Alice Hoffman weaves a lyrical and heart-wrenching story of the way the world closes in on the Frank family from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until they are forced into hiding, bringing Anne to bold, vivid life.

Based on extensive research and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, When We Flew Away is an extraordinary and moving tour de force.

Perfect for Alice Hoffman fans and readers of every age.

"Adding new poignance to a story whose ending we already knew, Alice Hoffman has deftly recreated the child Anne Frank with all her wit, mischief, and uncertainties. This fictionalized account of the increasingly desperate years that preceded the famous diary breaks readers' hearts one more time. But it reminds us of how important it is to remember and honor all that was lost." -- Lois Lowry, Newbery Award-winning author of Number the Stars

“We can highly recommend Alice Hoffman’s novel of Anne Frank’s life, set in the dramatic and terrible circumstances of those first war years. We hope it will persuade young readers that contributing to a better world is both necessary and possible,” says Ronald Leopold, Executive Director, Anne Frank House.

Reviews

Praise for When We Flew Away:

"Adding new poignance to a story whose ending we already knew, Alice Hoffman has deftly recreated the child Anne Frank with all her wit, mischief, and uncertainties. This fictionalized account of the increasingly desperate years that preceded the famous diary breaks readers' hearts one more time. But it reminds us of how important it is to remember and honor all that was lost." -- Lois Lowry, Newbery Award-winning author of Number the Stars

* "Via lyrical and chatty third-person narration, Hoffman crafts a sympathetic three-dimensional rendering that showcases new facets of a figure whom readers may only know one side of..." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

Praise for The World That We Knew:

*"A spellbinding portrait of what it means to be human in an inhuman world." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

*"An exceptionally voiced tale of deepest love and loss... one of [Hoffman's] finest. WWII fiction has glutted the market, but Hoffman's unique brand of magical realism and the beautiful, tender yet devastating way she explores her subject make this a standout." -- Booklist, starred review

"One of America's most brilliant novelists since her debut, Property Of, Hoffman uses her signature element of magical realism to tackle an intolerably painful chapter in history. Readers know going in that their hearts will be broken, but they will be unable to let go until the last page." -- Library Journal

*"Alice Hoffman's new novel will break your heart, and then stitch it back together piece by piece. It's about love and loss, about history and the world today, about what happens when man goes against the laws of nature for good and for evil. It's my new favorite Hoffman book -- and if you know how much I adore her writing, that's truly saying something." -- Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light.

Praise for Practical Magic:

"Splendid... Practical Magic is one of her best novels, showing on every page her gift for touching ordinary life as if with a wand, to reveal how extraordinary life really is." -- Newsweek

"A beautiful, moving book about the power of love and the desires of the heart." -- Denver Post

"Written with a light hand and perfect rhythm... Practical Magic has the pace of a fairy tale and the impact of accomplished fiction." -- People

"Charmingly told, and a good deal of fun." -- The New York Times Book Review

Praise for The Museum of Extraordinary Things:

"Alice Hoffman understands and delivers the ordinary and the extraordinary in this contemporary novel of the past. As always, her powerful, elegant prose embraces tremendous passion with constant, clear-eyed compassion." -- Amy Bloom, author of Away

*"Hoffman breathes fiery life into an enrapturing fairy tale and historical fiction mash-up... Hoffman unveils both horror and magic in this transfixing tale of liberation and love in a metropolis of lies, yearning, and metamorphosis."-- Donna Seaman, Booklist, starred review

Praise for Aquamarine:

"This spare, haunting novella... is a lovely introduction to the author's storytelling genius and matter-of-fact lyrical style." -- The New York Times Book Review

"Hoffman creates an apt metaphor for that twilight time between childhood and adolescence when magic still seems possible and friendships run deep and true." -- Publishers Weekly

Praise for Incantation:

"Magical and spellbinding... Painful and exquisitely beautiful." -- Lois Lowry, Newbery award-winning author

"Timeless." -- Kirkus Reviews

*"Riveting." -- School Library Journal, starred review

*"Reads like poetry... This novel stands alone." -- Voice Of Youths Advocate, starred review

*"(A) fascinating glimpse of a past civilization." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review