Item: The Invisible Hour
Rating: 3.50
Author: quirkycat

by Alice Hoffman

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery and the enduring magic of books.

Sixteen-year-old Ivy is pregnant and alone. Cast out by her family, she runs away and finds safety in the arms of Joel Davis. He offers a simpler life than the one she had in Boston, a quiet, rural life of rules, peace and community. Little does she realise, Joel is the charismatic leader of a cult known as the Community, and all is not quite as it seems.

Daughter Mia has only known the claustrophobic life of the Community. While out serving the Community one weekend, she secretly commits a transgression – reading. Discovering a world beyond the edges of the Community’s property is intoxicating. But breaking rules carries serious consequences, and sends Mia on a path she could never have imagined.

With two fiercely wonderful heroines, The Invisible Hour is a heart-breaking and hopeful novel of family, redemption and the power of love.

Praise for Alice Hoffman

‘Beautiful, harrowing, a major contribution to twenty-first century literature’
Toni Morrison

‘I am still reeling from The Dovekeepers – from the history Alice Hoffman illuminates, from the language she uses to bring these women to life. This novel is a testament to the human spirit and to love rising from the ashes of war. But most of all, this novel is one that will never be forgotten by a reader.’
Jodi Picoult

‘In her remarkable new novel, Alice Hoffman holds a mirror to our ancient past as she explores the contemporary themes of sexual desire, women’s solidarity in the face of strife, and the magic that’s quietly present in our day-to-day living. Put The Dovekeepers at the pinnacle of Hoffman’s extraordinary body of work. I was blown away.’
Wally Lamb

‘Alice Hoffman takes seemingly ordinary lives and lets us see and feel extraordinary things.’
Amy Tan

‘Miss Hoffman heals wounds with the gentle touch of an angel’
Joseph Heller

'Oh, what a book this is! Hoffman’s exploration of the world of good and evil, and the constant contest between them, is unflinching; and the humanity she brings to us – it is a glorious experience.'
Elizabeth Strout

Book Summary:

Any reader can tell you that books can save you if you listen. That is more true than usual for Mia Jacob. On one June day, she found her way out of the horror that is her life, and that way out was in a book.

Mia's story is generational in several ways. It's a love letter to The Scarlet Letter – and the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne.

My Review:

The Invisible Hour has got to be one of the most interesting book-about-a-books I've read in quite some time! (And I've read a fair few recently). The biggest deciding factor for your enjoyment of The Invisible Hour will be how you feel about The Scarlet Letter.

While I enjoyed this novel, it was unfortunately not my favorite Alice Hoffman novel. Granted, I adore Practical Magic, so it's pretty hard for any other novel to live up to that expectation, you know?

Part of the problem was that I've never felt a profound connection to The Scarlet Letter. Did I appreciate it? Yes, of course! But it was never one of those novels that resonated with me. As such, it felt like a slight wall between me and Mia.

The first half of The Invisible Hour reads like a classic historical fiction novel. However, it switches to historical fantasy right around that mark, pulling hard on the time travel elements. Even knowing it was coming, that transition was jarring because of how long it took to get there.

Overall, I would have to say that I enjoyed The Invisible Hour, perhaps a little less than I had hoped.

Highlights:
Magical Realism
Books-about-Books
Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Time Travel

Trigger Warnings:
Controlling/Abusive behavior
Cult

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The Invisible Hour

by Alice Hoffman

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Sep 11, 2023

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