When I saw the Blog Tour invitation for Fracture by Elyse Hoffman I signed myself up in an instant. Not only was I going to read and review this book anyway, I have reached a point where if there’s a Hoffman Book available, it will be in my hands.
Hoffman isn’t just a writer, she’s a weaver of worlds and an absolute master when it comes to Historical Fiction. Since picking up her Novel; The Book of Uriel, I have had a real passion for her work. It’s dark, it’s gritty and it’s absolutely beautiful.
I sometimes find it difficult to really connect with characters but in this story Hoffman really shows us how it’s done. The main man of the moment, Franz Keidal is the absolutely perfect example of an unlovable-loveable character. Despite everything you just can’t help but become enthralled by his story and page after page after page I just couldn’t help myself but to let him into my heart.
I also enjoyed the character of Amos Auman, Keidal’s Childhood best friend and confidant, and I liked the way that Hoffman dealt with them both in this book. The way she bridges the very different worlds her characters come from is excellent and it’s one of the things that draws me into her work.
World War II is a subject that I actually very much enjoy reading, particularly in fiction because it opens up worlds in an area we still to this very day have a habit of tiptoeing around. The events of that War should always be remembered, and these books that Hoffman writes are a fantastic way to do it. All of her characters are human, all are flawed in one way or another, not one character in her books is infallible. The pictures she paints with her writing are simply amazing.
If you’d like an example of how drawn into this book I was, I finished it in a day (ok, I read 2 pages the previous day but the book is 206 Pages so I count it as a single day read) I know that may not sound like a huge book to a lot of people but I very rarely find the time to sit still for that long because I always feel like I should be doing something.
You may remember my earlier review which was also part of a blog tour for Hoffman’s novel Where David Threw Stones, well this book has some familiar names which you’ll recognize if you’ve read that. If not, I implore you to read both Fracture and Where David Threw Stones. You don’t have to have read both to follow either one but I promise it will enhance the experience for you.
I don’t think there were any characters in this book that I didn’t enjoy the depictions of, obviously there are names in it that are actual people from History and most of us are lucky enough that we can only guess how accurate these depictions are, but I like to think that they’re fairly accurate. After all, all of these people were human beings however much we dislike the thought of them.
I am a big fan of Hoffman’s work as I’m sure you’ve gathered and I really don’t want to get carried away and spoil the book but absolutely do read this one. I loved it and I’m sure you will too.
Rebbie Reviews