Blog Tour Review: Where David Threw Stones, Elyse Hoffman

Title: Where David Threw Stones
Author: Elyse Hoffman
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 442 Pages
Publishing: September 27, 2022

About the Book

“Welcome to the Brennenbach of Midnight! The Curse Hours have begun.”

West Germany, 1968

When ten-year-old David Saidel’s parents are murdered by Neo-Nazis, he is sent to live with his grandfather in the anti-Semitic village of Brennenbach. David, miserable and lonely, finds solace in his kindly Grandpa Ernst, who has one strict rule: never go out after midnight.

One night, when David breaks curfew to search for his missing dog, he discovers why Ernst is so serious about his curfew: Brennenbach is cursed. When midnight strikes, the town is thrown back to 1943, the height of Hitler’s reign.

During the Curse Hours, the Nazi ghosts that infest Brennebach are just as dangerous as they were in life. They’re hunting for David because they think David is the last remaining member of the Kogan family. Whatever happened to the Kogan’s caused the Curse, and David and his grandfather won’t be safe until he finds a way to end it.

Through the help of a little girl named Maria Rahm, the daughter of a vicious Nazi Lieutenant, he sets out to uncover the truth behind the Kogan’s. Can he end the Curse that plagues the town of Brennenbach before it claims another victim?

This spellbinding Historical WW2 Fantasy Novel is a story of a ten-year-old boy’s loss, redemption, and ultimate courage. Award-winning author Elyse Hoffman has crafted an expertly woven tale of World War II’s horrors. This thrilling story is perfect for readers of Marcus Zusak’s “The Book Thief,” John Boyne’s “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” or Michael Reit’s “Beyond the Tracks.”

Book Links

Goodreads
Amazon US
Amazon UK

About the Author

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: The Barracks of the Holocaust five-book series and The Book of Uriel. Elyse’s books are the way to go if you love history and want to read some unique stories.

Author Links

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My Thoughts

This book is a magical story of a town in the wake of WWII, stuck in the past, and a boy who has lost everything and cannot forgive himself. Sent to live with a grandfather he never knew about, he’s given a set of easy rules to follow. In town, he must hide the fact he is Jewish because the townspeople won’t understand. But the biggest rule is that he must be in by curfew, which is non-negotiable. But when he sneaks out after curfew, he’s thrown back in time to the height of WWII, a place where no Jewish boy should ever travel. There he learns about the town’s curse and so much more.

Poor David. He’s made a promise not to smile, not to have fun and enjoy himself since his parents can’t. He has such a heavy load on his shoulders, too much for a 10-year-old boy. But he’s strong in his faith. He’s quiet and caring and has a way with people, whether they want him around or not. People can’t help but be drawn to him. But his new life isn’t all that great because people in town want him gone. Even more so when the curse kicks in at night, but he’s cunning, which serves him well.

I’ve read another book by Hoffman, and you learn while reading her books that they truly are magical. Where David Threw Stones is well-researched, and the characters are richly detailed. Characters, likable and not, are written in a way that evokes emotions from the readers. I enjoyed how this story unfolded. It all seemed typical, until it wasn’t. It’s a hard book to read sometimes because of antisemitism, but it strengthens the message. Overall, this is an enjoyable read that draws the readers into David’s plight.