Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley, author Alice Hoffman, and Atria Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I was very excited to read this, as I read the Practical Magic series for the first time ever last fall and fell in love. Hoffman's writing style is so stunning, and she knows how to write the perfect cozy fall book. The Invisible Hour is a great new addition to her repertoire that highlights her skill at storytelling and writing. This was a stunning read with an interesting premise that definitely transported me into the world of the book. I enjoyed the fairytale-esque quality of the entire story, and I loved seeing Mia journey as she escapes the Community and grows up to be her own hero. However, there were parts of the book that just didn't quite work for me, mainly being the connection to Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Scarlett Letter. I think if I had a strong connection to that book, I would have appreciated this story more, but as it is, I read it only once in high school and didn't enjoy it very much. To read a book where a book I disliked is so central to the story made me feel a bit removed from what was fully happening. I also didn't realize there would be elements of magical realism in regards to Nathaniel Hawthorne, and for me personally, it didn't quite work. I do think this book was well-written and a lovely read in lots of ways, but for my personal taste, I definitley enjoyed Practical Magic more. I look forward to continuing to read Hoffman's works in the fall!

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I liked the first part of the book dealing with Mia's story and especially her found family. I also found the connections between Ivy's story and The Scarlet Letter interesting but it didn't all really mesh well for me. I feel like it would have been a better book without Hawthorne's despair after Mia leaves & if Mia had not returned. I know Hoffman wanted to make Ivy's story into the inspiration behind The Scarlet Letter but that could have been done during the first visit. I skimmed thought some of the descriptions and I really like Alice Hoffman's writing style but sometimes it got to be a bit too much.

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I'm an absolute sucker for books about books and the theme that librarians can save us. The Invisible Hour is a marvelous addition to this sub-genre. Alice Hoffman's writing is, as always, sublime. She has a way of providing the perfect small detail that can illuminate a setting, a character, or a way of seeing the world. This book takes on themes of mother-daughter relationships and of the limits set upon women with a story of a cult and its evil leader (in the present day) and of Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter (in time travel to the past). I thought the combination worked really well, and though I'm not always a huge fan of magical realism, this really worked for me (especially as I'm a fan of The Scarlet Letter). This is definitely a book we'll be recommending in our store!

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I have been an Alice Hoffman fan forever but have struggled with her books over the last decade or so. This brought me back to why I loved her. Powerful characters a great storyline and women you can root for. Well done, Alice.

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Well, this won't be a popular opinion. I have only read one other book by Hoffman, and I always thought she wrote elevated prose that would, by itself, make a book worth reading. This, however, was not that. It was a total mess from the beginning - the writing was very bland. It was a lot of fancy sounding purple prose with no heart or soul to it. The narrator was so removed from the story that it was like reading a summary of a story rather than a story. I wrote it off for a while because I figured she was just breezing through Ivy's story to get to Mia's, but then it continued. And the Ivy and Mia stuff was the only part of the book I liked.

From there, I don't even know what to call this. I thought I was getting a book about a girl in Western MA living in a cult and escaping, finding solace in books and using books to navigate her life as it changed when she left the cult. Instead, I got some kind of weird love story between said cult girl and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The entirety of the Hawthorne stuff felt like an extended Wikipedia entry on him. I didn't feel any connection to him as an author, and I had no understanding of why Hawthorne except the image of the A early in the book was neat.

This is coming from an English major who loves classics. Especially the Romantics. And who grew up in Massachusetts and has lived in MA for most of her life. I didn't see ANY of Massachusetts in here. It could have been set anywhere. There was nothing real in this. There was zero heart.

Also, I was beyond annoyed at the reference to the burning of witches in Salem. Really? Elementary school students know burning was not used in Salem.

I'm sorry, but this was terrible. I really wish it wasn't, because the cover, the setting, the cult, and the love of books should have been everything I wanted.

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Alice Hoffman has done it again. Another enchanting, soulful, heartbreaking, and thought provoking masterpiece - Just a few words to sum up The Invisible Hour.

This story starts with Ivy, a beautiful 16 year old who finds out she is pregnant, with a man who wants nothing to do with them, and parents so ashamed they plan on giving away the baby. With no where else to go, she finds herself in western Massachusetts joining a community where practically everything joyful is a sin.

The second part is about Mia, Ivy’s daughter, and her desire to leave the community and find a new life as a free woman. After reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mia feels for the first time that she is understood. Then the book becomes about time travel. Mia somehow travels back in time to the 1800’s and not only meets her favorite author, but falls in love with him.

I LOVED both Ivy and Mia. Their connection and love for one another touched my soul and made me want to call my own mother, just to tell her that I loved her. Joel, the Community leader was terrifying and often made me uncomfortable. Nathaniel Hawthorne was very interesting and I didn’t know much about him going into this book, but I kinda want to learn more!

I just wish I knew more about what happens to Mia after the final pages. My only complaint- I need more!

Coincidentally, I just came home from a 4 day trip to Salem. So reading about the history and locations described in this book, and having fresh knowledge and visuals really made reading The Invisible Hour so special.

As always, 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Alice Hoffman for the ARC

Blessed Be

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3.5 stars rounded up. Being a big fan of Alice Hoffman, I was excited to read her newest, The Invisible Hour. And while reading the first half, I remember thinking it was so good and that I really loved her writing. Sadly, the second half lost something. It was almost as if it was written by a different person. It was still a very enjoyable story, there just wasn't a good transition between the halves and the tale shifted too dramatically. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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I’m torn on how to rate this book. The first half of the book was great—a solid 4+ stars. It tells the story of Ivy and her daughter Mia, trapped inside a cult community and desperately wanting free. I enjoyed reading about their relationship and how Ivy would sacrifice freedom to protect her beloved daughter. The second half of the book felt like a completely different story. It didn’t flow together at all. It was about the life of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and some parts of the second half of the book dragged on. The two halves of the book do come together eventually, and it all ties up nicely in the end, but it just felt disjointed and strange. I love magical realism and fantasy, so I don’t need to read a fully realistic story, but this one just didn’t work for me. I am still giving it 3 stars because there were parts of the book that were fantastic…but I was left feeling a little disappointed.

Thank you so much to Atria Books for the ARC via NetGalley.

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What a beautiful story about how the power of books can bring meaning and hope into our lives. When teenager Ivy becomes pregnant and has no support from home, she finds herself drawn to a welcoming cult community. It doesn’t take long for her to feel more like a prisoner than welcome member, but she can’t leave because they’d keep her daughter, Mia. As Mia grows, her free spirit leads her to the local library and welcoming librarian, and her world changes forever. Reading takes her into worlds shared by past author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and her mother, showing her what is really important to her and how their lives are joined. This book of magical realism is a book lovers delight. I loved it.

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For me, reading a brand-new Alice Hoffman book has always felt like settling in for a good conversation with an old friend. Hoffman's writing is known for its lyrical prose, and vivid descriptions while blending magic and realism, and finding fantasy in our everyday world.

There are few authors whose “voice” is so unique to them and their writing that you know who is telling you this story within the first few paragraphs. Over the years I have worked my way through her catalog of books, holding some closer to my heart than others, and never once have I been disappointed. The Invisible Hour is no exception!

In this poignant novel, Hoffman delivers a powerful punch across its 270 pages, skillfully tackling themes of patriarchy, oppression, sexism, and even time travel. With her adept storytelling, she firmly establishes the notion that less can be more, demonstrating that a beautifully crafted narrative doesn't need 500 (or more!) pages. At the same time, she shows the reader the profound healing powers that books can provide. This idea was shown so exquisitely at the very beginning of this novel, in a letter to her readers: “The bond between writer and reader is a cherished and mysterious one. A book doesn’t live when it’s written. It lives when it’s read.” I was so touched by this! What a perfect way to preface a story that, at its heart, is an ode to the power of books and how they affect people’s lives.

This book is told in two storylines, the first of which is that of Ivy and her daughter Mia. Teenage Ivy finds herself pregnant and left with nowhere to go after her college-bound boyfriend rejects her and her wealthy family disowns her. On a whim, she agrees to go to a commune with a woman she meets at a bus stop. At first, they welcome her with open hearts and arms. It’s only after she’s there for a while does she realize she has fallen prey to the leader of a cult, running his own version of The Scarlet Letter. Told from Ivy’s point of view, and then that of her teenage daughter Mia, you see them within a commune living under the watchful eye of the leader, where nothing is theirs, any type of free thinking is met with punishment and children live in communal nurseries. Mia’s only reprieve is when the women in the commune sell their produce in town during the farmer’s market. It is then that she discovers what a library is and the magic of books. ⁣On the day Mia thinks about ending her life, she is saved by a copy of The Scarlet Letter which seems to tell the story of her life at the commune and shockingly, is dedicated to her by Nathaniel Hawthorne himself!

This is where our second storyline comes into play. The book takes a turn into the past (literally, time travel) and Mia meets the author of the book that gave her hope, well before he wrote The Scarlet Letter. A lot of other reviewers have said this was their least favorite part of the book but aside from some technical unanswered questions, it was my favorite part of the book! The fantasy and whimsy of it all just drew me in.

How refreshing it was to read this book, during a time when news of book banning is becoming all too common and laws are once again removing the rights of women to make choices for their bodies. Kudos to Hoffman for bringing us this wonderful story highlighting a woman’s right to choose and the importance of access to books and the endless possibilities they open up.

It’s hard for me to find criticism for this book. If pressed, I would say, the mechanics of the time travel were unclear. There were no devices (such as the stones in Outlander for example), was it just “close your eyes, make a wish and you land where you want to”? I would have liked to understand a bit more how that worked. Also, the ending seemed rushed or perhaps not as fully resolved as I would like it to be. I would suggest this book to everyone but especially those interested in historical novels, magical realism, or reproductive rights.

Many heartfelt thanks to @netgalley @atriabooks and @ahoffmanwriter for honoring me with the chance to read an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Invisible Hour will be released on August 15, 2023.

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** spoiler alert **

The Invisible Hour tells the story of Mia Jacobs and her mother. As a young, pregnant teen, Mia's mother Ivy is shunned from her home. She ends up finding Joel, who owns a large tract of land in rural Massachusetts. There, she joins The Community, and before she realizes it's basically a cult, she has married Joel and had baby Mia. Although in the Community "children belong to everyone", Mia and her mother grow close despite Joel and other members' abuse. When Mia's mother dies and she decides to escape, things change for her in a way she never could have imagined.

I really liked the first half of this book. Hoffman does a great job of weaving together not only how the Community functions, but a really beautiful setting. Mia as a character is well-rounded and I was rooting for her escape the whole time.

However, in the back half of the book, she travels through time and meets Nathaniel Hawthorne. This part was pretty clunky for me, and I would have preferred the book without it. The world of the Community and Mia's escape was so full and lush and I wanted to know more about that. There were also some ham-fisted references to the reversal of Roe v. Wade that took me out of the immersive world I was in. Never mentioned explicitly but mentioned enough times that I got annoyed by it. I've loved Alice Hoffman's other books so I was disappointed that this was a miss for me.

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Getting into any Alice Hoffman book, you should expect some sort of magic. The Invisible Hour is no different.

Mia lives in a community, lead by a terrible man. Her life is secluded, only reaching modern society on the weekends when the Community goes to sell their wares at a Farmer's Market. One day, Mia goes to the library, and picks up The Scarlet Letter. This particular book has been personalized, to Mia, and this book changes her life.
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This is the story about a book, and about its writer. It's also about Mia, modern pressures on women, living your truth, love, family and the magic of a good book.

It's an interesting take on fiction. Reading about Mia falling in love with books was familiar. I less enjoyed the long-drawn out sections from the past. There could have been a stronger thriller element as well as a more fleshed out character development (especially for Elizabeth!)

All in all, it was a quick read and while I did enjoy most of it, I likely will not read it over and over, a la Mia and The Scarlet Letter.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
Publishing Date - 08/15/23
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this eARC.
Loved it! Will be one of my top favorites this year! This story reminds readers to never forget the power of books! I really loved how she incorporated Nathanial Hawthorne and his book ,”the Scarlet Letter” into the novel. Highly recommend this one when it releases next Tuesday!

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I'm a huge Alice Hoffman fan and really enjoyed The Invisible Hour. I definitely liked the first half better...the part of the story that takes place in present time. I absolutely loved the theme throughout the story of how books can change people's lives and transport us to other worlds. That being said, while the time traveling bit was true to Alice Hoffman's "magical" style, I was just left feeling a little bit unsettled at the end of the story. The time travel wasn't explained, the relationship between Mia and Hawthorne developed very quickly, and the ending seemed a little untrue. All in all, if you are an Alice Hoffman fan, it's worth the read. Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy.

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Ivy Jacobs isn't allowed to read books in her community. Yet, she gets her hands on a copy of The Scarlet Letter, and it leads her on a journey of heartbreak, love, and self discovery.

This book is a powerful commentary on current events, the reality that many groups think they can dictate what we read and how we think. Very well written, poignant characters, and so much to read between the lines. Food for thought - this book specifically, but isn't that what all books are supposed to be? Absolutely loved this one! ❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

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The writing in this book is so beautiful and eloquent. I was roped into the story immediately. Reading about Ivy needing to leave her home, being let down by the man who impregnated her, and her own father was heartbreaking to begin with. Once she fell into the arms of Joel Davis, she didn’t have a chance. Men continuously let women in the society down. Seeing Mia come up with Ivy guiding her, sometimes from afar, and protecting her was so moving. I found the switch to the magical realism well set up. But the actual ending of the book and the impact that she ended up having on him was surprising to me.

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The queen of magical realism, Alice Hoffman, returns with an enchanting tale, THE INVISIBLE HOUR —a woman and her daughter in a commune find comfort in books, magical storytelling, a mystical journey, and time travel with a literary twist.

Ivy Jacob's parents are unhappy about her teen pregnancy, and she has few options—she runs from Boston to Western Massachusetts to The Community, a modern-day cult. She gives birth to Mia and marries the group's controlling leader, Joel, when Mia is three months old. The rules are strict, and members are branded with letters. There is to be no contact with the outside world.

At age 16, Mia secretly takes out books from a nearby library (forbidden in The Community). She wants to escape and tries to get her mom to do so.

The Scarlet Letter was written almost two hundred years earlier. Still, it seems to tell the story of Mia’s mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community—where contact with the outside world is forbidden, and books are considered evil. But how could this be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her?

Mia becomes obsessed with The Scarlet Letter (her favorite) after finding a first edition mysteriously inscribed, To Mia. She escapes the Community. Under the instruction of Constance Allen and Sarah Mott, a loving couple of lesbian librarians in Concord (where Hawthorne is buried), she later becomes a librarian, but Joel is still out there; the evil community leader continues to hunt and taunt her.

One day, while visiting Hawthorne’s grave, she wishes to meet the author. Mia finds solace and inspiration in a hidden book, The Scarlet Letter, which empowers her to shape her future. From alternating POV— Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing life in the mid-19th century and a series of time-traveling twists with the inspiration for The Scarlet Letter.

We jump to time traveling back to 1837 Salem with Hawthorne, a struggling writer. What happens next? Mia learns that time is more fluid than she can imagine and that love is stronger than any chains that bind you.

As a girl, Mia fell in love with a book. Now as a young woman, she falls in love with a brilliant writer as she makes her way back in time. But what if Nathaniel Hawthorne never wrote The Scarlet Letter? And what if Mia Jacob never found it on the day she planned to die? A journey of discovery. The book takes a drastic turn about halfway when it turns to time travel.

A book within a book, THE INVISIBLE HOUR, is captivating!

A remarkable mix of literary, magical realism, fantasy, time travel, and the love of books. From themes of survival, family, a mother's love, choices, the empowerment of women, the love of reading, and the joy of storytelling.

Thanks to Atria Books for a gifted ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Aug 15, 2023
Aug 2023 Must-Read Books

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Alice Hoffman is such a truly gifted author - her words and the stories they weave are truly remarkable. I am pleased to have been allowed to preview this book, and I admit, it did not disappoint.

I am not sure how I would describe the book, however. The beginning of the story captivated me; a young girl (Ivy) who breaks free of the restrictive bonds of her parents world, and ends up in enmeshed inside a cult that is far more stifling her home life ever could have been. Her child (Mia) experiences a vastly different life than Ivy's raised within the strict confines of the community.. Ivy loved books and learning more than anything in her growing up; Mia is not allowed, by rules of the community, but one day she stumbles into the local town library, and forms a friendship with the librarian. From there, things take a lot of different twists and turns, including time travel, romance, intrigue and Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter.

It is not my favorite of Alice Hoffman's books, yet I am so pleased to have read it in exchange for a review. The book has some truly poetic thoughts and expressions, and experiencing both Ivy and Mia's lives has been a great experience.

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I loved The Invisible Hour. Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors and like so many of her other books (all the ones I’ve read so far, which is many), this book is just delicious.

I was immediately drawn in to the story and couldn’t put it down. I loved the letter to the reader in the beginning and really appreciated learning a few things about Ms. Hoffman’s life. Her writing is so eloquent as she describes the relationship between the author and the reader: “A book doesn’t live when it’s written. It lives when it’s read.”

The Invisible Hour is like a love letter to book readers. The main character, in my opinion, is a book - The Scarlet Letter. The theme is the power of books and specifically tells the story of how a book can change a person’s life. The Scarlet Letter literally saves the life of our main protagonist, Mia. It is a gripping read that is written by a masterful storyteller with a extraordinary imagination that I am grateful for.

Both the characters and the relationships are extremely well-defined. There is an element of magical realism, present in many Hoffman books. I must confess that while I’ve read many, I have not yet read them all. There is something comforting knowing that there are a few books written by Alice Hoffman that I still have yet to read. I seem to be saving them - I guess I cannot imagine life without an Alice Hoffman book “waiting in the wings,” to be read.

The time travel angle adds an element of surprise that is necessary to the story and I have no problems with it. Don’t all or many books require us to suspend our disbelief to a degree?

Besides the power of books and the love of reading, other themes include love, family, sacrifice and survival. The story also deals with issues that faced women in 1800s that are just as relevant today — single motherhood and a woman’s control over her body.

The Invisible Hour is one of Ms. Hoffman’s best, although I often say that about her books. The writing, as always, is beautiful and lyrical. I highly recommend The Invisible Hour.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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I have loved several of Alice Hoffman's books. But the fantasy element on The Invisible Hour doesn’t work very well for me. May is able to travel back in time to meet Nathaniel Hawhorne, but her abusive stepfather is able to follow her there, even though he doesn’t have the magical copy of The Scarlet Letter. I think the story would have been better without time travel; the realistic portion of the story is quite good.

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