When We Flew Away
| Modern Age |
|---|
 When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary
|
World History > Modern Age > WWII / Holocaust
Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history's most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank's life before she went into hiding.
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.” --Ronald Leopold, Executive Director, Anne Frank House
Emily's Review
Anne Frank significantly influenced me as a young adult reader. I discovered her diary when I was around 12 and found a kindred spirit in her. I saw myself in her and, through her eyes, was able to imagine the horrors of the Holocaust in a way that I hadn't before.
I was both skeptical and excited to read this book. The author would need to take some liberties, and I'm very protective of Anne. I shouldn't have worried. If any author can handle such a delicate task, it's Alice Hoffman. It was like she was channeling Anne through this book.
Set just two years before going into hiding, we're able to witness what it was like in Europe for Jewish people. We see Anne's life in Amsterdam as they go from relatively safe to completely unsafe. We see her with her friends, get a peek at her relationships with her parents and sister, and a potential first love. It reminds us of a time when she was more innocent of the world, when there was still hope of getting out, when the potential was still there for a chance of safety and a future.
A pet peeve of mine is the fact that for many people, the only book they might ever read about the Holocaust is Anne Frank's diary. This means they only get a glimpse at it - they know it was bad enough that her family had to go into hiding, but they don't have to deal with the lead-up or the aftermath. Having a book like this to pair with her diary gives a fuller picture of events. Add something like The Librarian of Auschwitz and They Went Left, and now you have the complete picture. Hoffman reminds us through this story that we need to remember - we need to bear witness, and we can still do that through stories like Anne's.
I recommend this book for children ages 12+
Other Similar Books
Other suggestions on the subject of the Holocaust.
- Hidden Hope (by: Boxer, Elisa, France, LE, MG)
- Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport (by: Stelson, Caren, Czechoslovakia, LE, MG)
- Stone Angel (by: Yolen, Jane, France, LE)
- Once (by: Gleitzman, Morris, Poland, MG, UMG)
- Then (by: Gleitzman, Morris, Poland, MG, UMG)
- The Girl Who Sang (by: Nadel, Estelle, Savos, Sammy, Strout, Bethany, Poland, MG, UMG)
- Out of Hiding (by: Gruener, Ruth, Poland, United States, MG)
- Now (by: Gleitzman, Morris, Australia, MG, UMG)
- Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust (by: Dauvillier, Loïc, France, MG, UMG)
- I Will Protect You: A True Story of Twins Who Survived Auschwitz (by: Kor, Eva Mozes, Romania, MG)
- When We Flew Away (by: Hoffman, Alice, Netherlands, UMG, YA)
- Esfir is Alive (by: Simon, Andrea, Poland, UMG, YA)
- Four Perfect Pebbles (by: Blumenthal Lazan, Marion, Germany, Holland, UMG)
- Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust (by: Shusterman, Neal, various, UMG, YA)
- We'll Soon Be Home Again (by: Bab Bonde, Jessica, Various, UMG, YA)
- Beyond Courage (by: Rappaport, Doreen, Germany, UMG, YA)
- No Pretty Pictures: A Child of War (by: Lobel, Anita, Poland, UMG, YA)
- The Devil's Arithmetic (by: Yolen, Jane, Poland, UMG, YA)
- Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (by: Frank, Anne, Netherlands, UMG, YA)
- Upon the Head of the Goat (by: Siegal, Aranka, Hungary, UMG)
- When the World Was Ours (by: Kessler, Liz, Austria, UMG, YA)
- Briar Rose (by: Yolen, Jane, Poland, YA, A)
- They Went Left (by: Hesse, Monica, Poland, Germany, YA, A)
- Names in a Jar (by: Gold, Jennifer, Poland, YA, A)
- 28 Days: A Novel of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto (by: Safier, David, Poland, YA, A)
- Margot (by: Cantor, Jillian, United States, YA, A)
- The Redhead of Auschwitz: A True Story (by: Birnbaum, Nechama, Romania, Germany, YA, A)
- The Search (by: Heuvel, Eric, Netherlands, YA, A)
- My Name is Selma (by: van de Perre, Selma, Netherlands, YA, A)
- Mapping the Bones (by: Yolen, Jane, Poland, YA, A)
- Night (by: Wiesel, Elie, Romania, YA, A)
- Dawn (by: Wiesel, Elie, Palestine, YA, A)
- Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe (by: Sheinkin, Steve, Poland, YA, A)
- The Librarian of Auschwitz (by: Iturbe, Antonio, Poland, YA, A)
- The Blood Years (by: Arnold, Elana K., Romania, YA, A)
- Day (by: Wiesel, Elie, United States, YA, A)
- The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million (by: Mendelsohn, Daniel, Ukraine, A)