$27.99
ISBN: 9781501137570
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Simon & Schuster - September 24th, 2019
Patron: Lynne
Title: The World That We Knew
Comments: Wow, I did NOT expect this book to be so, so… fantastic. I have not read Ms Hoffman’s prior works and did not know what to expect. I have read a lot of WW2 books this year, many about the Holocaust. Maybe all the anniversaries of disasters and war markers have been a great impetus to push this along by strides.
Me… the jotter here? I confess, I love science fiction, preferably the “hard” kind. After that, I relish historical fiction, as there are always great stories there, even pieces written as modern tales in their time, such as Edith Wharton’s books. I love family stories and heart-warmers too. But mostly I love dreams. I revere Philip K. Dick. He is known to have said for us readers to “suspend disbelief”. Dreams and nightmares are welcome in books I read, and I easily suspend disbelief, and just “go there”.
The World That We Knew starts off as Historical Fiction (Berlin, 1941), as Jewish citizens, homeowners, children, “new” criminals and other characters quickly engage us within their horrific settings, the characters slowly coming ‘round to a center (of sorts) at the end. The story allowed me to maybe see how such desperate characters in this terrible nightmare got themselves through it. Yes, I have read The Tin Drum and other tales. This is a little off that bio-genre but still as strong. The main characters were mostly women in all stages of despair and dodging traps. They generally press on, using cunning and tricks to live and keep moving. We all tell ourselves WE would do that, right? You will not be able to put this book away, BUT, you will occasionally have to “suspend disbelief.” So, breathe, close your eyes, and then keep reading.
Ms. Hoffman has proven, apparently very well, that her unique imagination is appreciated by millions of readers. But I didn’t know that, and I was so thrilled to partake in her writing style, her story, and what I could call “dreams”. Don’t miss this book.