The Book of Uriel: A Novel of WWII

by Elyse Hoffman

Overview

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"An otherworldly tale with indelible characters in a realistic wartime setting. Hoffman's novel sublimely fuses world history and Jewish folklore."-Kirkus Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"A truly unique work of fantastical, historical fiction set in Nazi Germany that will keep readers engaged and invested in the characters and their fates."-Booklife by Publisher's Weekly

B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree

In the fires of World War II, a child must save his people from darkness...

Ten-year-old Uriel has always been an outcast. Born mute in a Jewish village known for its choir, he escapes into old stories of his people, stories of angels and monsters. But when the fires of the Holocaust consume his village, he learns that the stories he writes in his golden notebook are terrifyingly real.

In the aftermath of the attack, Uriel is taken in by Uwe, a kind-hearted linguist forced to work for the commander of the local Nazi Police, the affably brutal Major Brandt. Uwe wants to keep Uriel safe, but Uriel can't stay hidden. The angels of his tales have come to him with a dire message: Michael, guardian angel of the Jewish people, is missing. Without their angel, the Jewish people are doomed, and Michael's angelic brethren cannot search for him in the lands corrupted by Nazi evil.

With the lives of millions at stake, Uriel must find Michael and free him from the clutches of the Angel of Death...even if that means putting Uwe in mortal danger.

The Book of Uriel is a heartbreaking blend of historical fiction and Jewish folklore that will enthrall fans of The Book Thief and The World That We Knew.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781952742064
Publisher:	Project 613 Publishing
Publication date:	01/25/2021
Pages:	316
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.66(d)

About the Author

Elyse Hoffman 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 five books in The Barracks of the Holocaust series. If you love history and want to read some completely unique stories, follow Elyse at Project613Publishing.com.

Editorial Reviews

2021-04-08
During World War II, a Jewish boy gets the chance to save his people by rescuing an archangel in this historical fantasy.

Ten-year-old Uriel survives the destruction of his village in German-occupied Poland. The orphaned, mute boy awakens to angels on Earth, and they need his help. Angel of Death Samael has captured Archangel Michael, part of a diabolical plan to erase the Jewish population. As evil causes the angels agonizing pain, they can’t search a Nazi-infested land. But Uriel can, especially with the pendant they give him that renders him invisible “to the wicked.” Shockingly, Samael promises to tell the boy where he’s confined Michael, provided Uriel locates five rare items (including the Golden Tree, with no clues to get him started). The pendant makes it easier to avoid the Order Police, though one person can see Uriel. Luckily, it’s sympathetic civilian translator Uwe Litten, who’s only working with the Nazis to keep himself and his family safe. Despite the inherent danger, Uwe considers helping a group of “renegade Jews” resist the Order Police while Uriel stays dedicated to freeing Michael from Samael’s imprisonment. Hoffman’s novel sublimely fuses world history and Jewish folklore. For example, Samael’s requested items include a real-life World War II–related text as well as the Shamir, a six-eyed creature that looks “like some monstrous combination of a worm, a weasel, and a spider.” This story is, perhaps unsurprisingly, somber, as it features scenes of torturous Nazi interrogations. The Order Police’s Maj. Gunter Brandt is particularly unnerving; he laughs and smiles while treating Jews as inferior. On the lighter side, Uriel and Uwe’s relationship is parental, and the adult even bathes the youngster (lest the Nazis smell the invisible boy). In addition, Uriel’s experiences best highlight Hoffman’s prose: “He stood near the smoldering house and listened to the wails of the poor woman who had lost everything to the storm.” The book’s sharp, uncredited, black-and-white artwork strikingly illustrates Uriel’s loneliness.

An otherworldly tale with indelible characters in a realistic wartime setting.

Kirkus Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A mesmerizing work of historical fiction. The author has magically combined history with fantasy, resulting in an irresistibly engrossing story. Hoffman is a born storyteller, and she executes her ideas in a sound, beautiful way."

Readers' Favorite - Tammy Ruggles