The World That We Knew

What’s a better family secret than a golem tasked with protecting the main character?

Set against World War II in France, remarkable characters that I rooted for faced unspeakable odds. The book is a testament to what makes us human: The power of love and redemption. The golem, Ava, is a fully fleshed character with her own character arc. 

The World That We Knew has nothing to do with possession, but it is another “Jewish supernatural” tale.

Hoffman treats the legendary golem, but in this case, she creates a female golem! This brilliant conception unfolds not in the ghetto of 16th-century Prague but during the horrors of World War Two.

We see a unique golem (Ava): a healer who can also speak with the birds (and vanquish enemies, of course). The interactions of the characters amidst the frightful setting are absolutely captivating.

Although tales involving the golem are completely unrelated to narratives involving possession, I found the Hoffman novel… show more.

The World That We Knew blends realism and magic as a golem—a mystical human-like being, required to follow the demands of its maker— is invoked to protect a 12-year-old girl, Lea, escaping the horrors of the Holocaust. As the golem gains more humanity, the dangers and poignancies mount. A lyrical, heartrending novel about sacrifice, connection, love, and loss.