From the Publisher
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 ofSmall 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
Kirkus Reviews
2024-06-15
The story of Anne Frank and her family before the diary that would become an iconic work of the 20th century.
Hoffman imagines the Frank family in Amsterdam—their conversations, feelings, and interactions—during the terrifying time that led up to their hiding and Anne’s writing of her diary, which was published posthumously in 1947. Anchored in historically accurate details, this story portrays Anne as both hopeful and scared, clinging to her girlhood and normality even while her personhood was being systematically stripped away. Hoffman examines Anne’s complex relationships with her mother and older sister, Margot, in heart-wrenching scenes that show them to be typical of many mothers and daughters. Historical information woven into the narrative serves as time stamps as the Franks move ever closer to their life in hiding. This context is helpful for readers and offers a startling reminder of the terror that took over Europe during World War II. Ultimately, Hoffman portrays Anne and Margot as the children they truly were, gripped with fear and telling each other stories for comfort but still eager to go for bike rides, celebrate birthdays, and try to live their lives fully. This novel serves as an insightful companion for Frank’s own diary or as a stand-alone entry into a terrifying and unforgivable time in history.
Deeply moving and beautifully written. (afterword, further reading)(Historical fiction. 9-12)