This was my first book by Alice Hoffman and I went in blind. I’d heard great things about Hoffman’s other novels, including Practical Magic and Magic Lessons, and was looking forward to her gift of writing magical realism.

At a short 272 pages, this book can really be split into two parts. The first part takes place in present time and tells the story of Ivy and Mia and their time in the Community and then Mia’s life after escaping. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book and could have read and enjoyed reading about Mia’s life in the present for much longer.

I enjoyed the glimpse into life living in a cult and Mia’s discovery of the joy of books. The characters that supported her were charming and the leader of the cult made a fantastic villain that really connected the first part of the book with the second half.

In the second part, Mia travels through time and lives in the time of Nathaniel Hawthorne, meeting the author, falling in love, and inspiring her beloved book, The Scarlet Letter. This second part seemed much slower and less fulfilling and gripping than the first part. I don’t have a ton of experience with magical realism, so maybe it isn’t my thing, but I didn’t quite understand how Mia traveled through time.

I thought the idea of Mia’s time travel was very clever in that her present-day life inspired the story that allowed her to survive. The idea behind the second half was sound, in my opinion, but the execution fell flat.

Alice Hoffnam’s writing style is dreamy and she does a great job of getting emotions of the characters across to the readers. While this particular book wasn’t my favorite, I am eager to see what else Hoffman has to offer in her other novels.

I was engaged in this book as soon as I picked it up. I loved the setting, the writing, and the tone!

I thought for sure it was setting itself up for a five-star read. However, it lost me about 2/3 of the way through when she started time traveling. I was a bit disappointed that her journey of self-discovery after her traumatic past revolved around a man. Womp womp. I did think the aspects of changing the past (when the book started disappearing, etc.) were interesting. But I think I would have liked it more had she stayed primarily in present day and reclaimed her power independently..

4/5

CONTENT WARNING: death of a parent, grief, abuse, violence, death, suicidal ideation, stalking, terminal illness

I have yet to find an Alice Hoffman book that I haven’t loved, and this one is no exception. Hoffman has this incredible way of infusing her books with magical realism and making it so easy for her readers to suspend belief that I’ve become a huge fan despite my tendency to dislike magical realism in general with a few exceptions.

This story is basically a love letter to books, although it does touch on other important themes as well. Have you ever read a book and just seen yourself in it? The first time this happened to me was an incredibly powerful moment, and my experience pales in comparison to that of Mia’s in this book. But this line just stood out to me, and while I rarely quote ARCs in my reviews, I couldn’t help but use this quote because it stood out to me:

“Sometimes when you read a book it’s as if you were reading the story of your own life.”

First we hear the story of Ivy, Mia’s mother. When she finds herself pregnant and alone, she finds her way to what seems like an idyllic group of people in western Massachusetts known as the Community. And while it initially seems perfect, the cracks show before long and it’s quickly revealed to be a cult led by a charismatic man named Joel. In the Community, they aren’t allowed to talk to anyone on the outside, they can’t read any books, watch TV, listen to the radio, get married without Joel’s approval, and the children are raised communally without contact from their parents, and they aren’t allowed to show emotions. Infractions are punished harshly. Despite all of this, Ivy finds ways to sneak time alone with Mia, and let her know how much she loves her or tell her stories.

Mia grows up knowing that life in the Community is not a sustainable way of life for her. After discovering a world of escape in her local library, she has a hard time not going back. She tentatively forges a bond with the librarian, and discovers the books that create massive change in her life. And on the day that she decides to end her life, she finds a book that seems to tell the story of her mother’s life. Instead of killing herself, she decides that she wants more from life than what the Community has to offer.

Escaping the Community is both easier than she expects and harder. The way she was brought up isn’t so simple to leave behind, and she finds herself always looking over her shoulder, even after building a fulfilling life on the outside. And when she finds herself magically brought back in time, she encounters an author that she’s already fallen in love with and has to find a balance between building a bond between Nathaniel Hawthorne and not changing anything that would impact that future.

This story brings up some older themes that have become relevant again today, principally women having bodily autonomy. Ivy’s limited choices are what started the journey in this story in the first place—she became pregnant out of wedlock at a time when this was shameful and unacceptable, so her only options were to give the baby up for adoption or to leave and try to find somewhere she can be a single mother and accepted for that. Book banning also plays a role in the story, and there’s definitely a lesson to be learned here: it’s always the despotic people in charge who want to ban the books. There’s a line in the story that said something about how once Mia went into the library, Joel wasn’t able to control her anymore. This is something that we can also apply to our own society today.

Overall, this is a fantastic story that couldn’t have been done as wonderfully in anyone else’s hands. Hoffman is a true master of magical realism, and this story comes across as a perfect example of magical realism done well. This is clearly a love letter to books, and I love how she incorporated present day issues to this moving story. It’s one not to miss, just like all of the other Hoffman books I’ve read, so she’s clearly an auto-buy author for me.

“In a place where books were banned there could be no personal freedom, no hope, and no dreams for the future. “

“Turn someone into a reader and you turn the world around.”

Mia is struggling with the life she has been handed of living in the community. When she finds the love of books, an entirely new world opens up for her, but reading is strictly banned in the community. By hiding her library trips and reading in secret, Mia learns that reading can transport you a millions of different places…

You all know I love me a cult book, and this one was no different. I really enjoyed what a strong character Mia was, and how she never backed down from Joel. I also really enjoyed the magical realism and the book within a book aspect of this one.

Alice Hoffman is a phenomenal writer. She brings to her her craft, foresight, an abundance of wisdom, concern for humankind and loving beautiful prose that jumps off the page right into the reader’s soul. In The Invisible Hour she poignantly tells at the onset that a book by itself is nothing without a reader. And so begins a literary journey based upon Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, written at a time when the Salem witch trials were still a raw memory and when women were thought to be subservient to men and were tainted by Eve’s preposterous “ original sin. “
As it turns out, 2023 is a year in which women in the United States, once again, after a long battle for equality , find themselves battered by a puritanical Supreme Court. What perfect timing for Alice Hoffman to write a book that highlights how our modern crisis reflects the archaic misogyny of of the past.
Mia Jacob lives in the Community, a commune run by a self absorbed tyrant, Joel Davis, who is her father of record. Mia receives no privileges. In fact, no child in the Community lives in a family household, but are reared communally. Mia is unhappy and takes long forbidden walks to the town of Blackwell, in the Berkshires, where she discovers a library filled with books. The librarian fulfills Mia’s need to expand her mind through reading. Mia’s mother, Ivy, has encouraged her daughter to read in secret. They have a strong mother/ daughter bond.
At a point in the book where Mia’s life becomes unbearable, the book shifts time frames and through time travel brings Mia to the place where she can meet and fall in love with, the author she adores, Nathaniel Hawthorne.
I cannot praise this book enough. It is important, compelling, and leaves a message that cannot be overlooked. Kudos to Alice Hoffman. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for gifting me an ARC in return for my honest review. Publication is soon- August 17, 2023.

I feel like this was too broadly written which made it too scattered to fully invest in any one character or storyline. I felt so thrown by following the mom first and then the daughter and whole cult situation and then the mom dies and the daughters books get burned and at 35% she hadn't even time travelled yet.
I appreciate the opportunity for the ARC

A woman arrives in a field and changes everything; she has secrets she won't tell, she has a history that is heart of the story"

This book starts with a touching author's note where Alice Hoffman shares her personal connection to the story and her appreciation to her readers.

In the Invisible Hour, Mia escapes into Nathaniel Hawthorne's fictional world, both as a reader and as a traveler through time. On the day Mia decides to end her life she is saved by The Scarlet Letter which seems to tell the story of her very existence. She runs away from her oppressor, starts a new life and then years later she time travels to 1837 and meets the author.

The Invisible Hour reads like two different books. Sadly, there is a disconnect between Mia's time in a commune in Western Mass and time traveling to 1837 to meet and fall in love with Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The time travel concept made me a tiny bit confused as to whether NH wrote The Scarlet Letter because he met Mia. But on the other hand, she reads the book in the future:) What if NH never wrote The Scarlet Letter? And what if Mia never found it on the day she planned to die? When they met, NH has a writer's block. So Mia drops hints about his future and gives her the idea about THE book.

I've read the first part frantically, then POV changed and the book shifted abruptly. It slowed down due to the background history of dark and broody Hawthorne and his life.This made me lose interest, probably because I have read Hester not long ago.

This book is not just an impossible love story, it is a redemptive tale of daughters and mothers. It is about the power of books and the difficulties women have faced throughout history in controlling their own fates. Nathaniel Hawthorne's own sister Elizabeth's words about being a woman in that day and age and her longing to be more touched me the most.

Alice Hoffman is not subtle when she is delivering those messages and I so appreciated it.

This book was beautifully written and it has the signature Alice Hoffman magic. It is not quite a 5⭐️ read due to its disjointed storytelling style.

I feel like this was too broadly written which made it too scattered to fully invest in any one character or storyline. I felt so thrown by following the mom first and then the daughter and whole cult situation and then the mom dies and the daughters books get burned and at 35% she hadn't even time travelled yet. I enjoyed the writing but just wish it would've been edited more tightly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman. Ms. Hoffman once again enthralls us with her unmistakable ability to write enchanting novels. This book is part contemporary novel as well as fantasy. I enjoyed immensely her references to Nathaniel Hawthorne throughout and the power of books to transform us. I enjoyed the final chapters as the main character travels through time to live part of her live with Hawthorne as they share true love. Truly a wonderful read!

Enchanting!! The first half of this novel is stunning and captivating. About half way through is where you should be prepared to suspend belief a bit - I can see some readers struggling to keep at it after the time traveling begins. This is not my favorite Hoffman book, but I will absolutely continue to pick up her books in the future!

I’m a huge Hoffman fan, and this book further proves that she truly write characters the way very few authors can - her books often take you on a journey diving right into a character and follow them through the span of several years or their entire lifetime, and this one continues that trend.
However, sadly I have to say I think this is probably my least favorite Hoffman book i’ve read so far. It started off really strong, I loved following Mia’s life being raised in a strict cult, but then we get to Part 2 and the story becomes something completely different, and I was taken off guard by the direction it took and I just wasn’t that invested in the Hathorne storyline, and the weird unexplained magical element just seemed unnecessary. Her writing is still absolutely unmatched though, even if the plot itself didn’t quite work for me

This is a sweet novel that requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. That's not a bad thing! The magic and heartfelt story that I come to expect from Alice Hoffman was there, so it meets those expectations. It did get a bit...predictable at times, though.

This is just what I needed! I LOVED this book so much. I am a HUGE fan of magical realism and the way this author weaved it into this move was pure perfection. She created the most addicting fairytale and brought the past to life. I always go into books completely blind and reading about Hawthorne was such a treat. I didn't want this story to end. I cannot wait to read her backlist. Thank you netgalley for this advanced copy!

Another beautifully written novel by Alice Hoffman.A book told in a dual time line a story told in a dual time line.This story involves books librarians and Nathaniel Hawthorne.A book I will be recommending.#netgalley #atriabooks

I would love to live inside Alice Hoffman’s head for just five minutes. Ms. Hoffman can take different stories and make them relatable and enjoyable, while somewhat out of the ordinary. In her latest book, The Invisible Hour, we are introduced to Mia Jacob, who is raised in a cult run by a man named Joel. Mia knows there is more to life than the Community. She seeks refuge in the town library. There she finds a book, The Scarlet Letter, which not only changes and saves her life, but becomes her way to happiness in the future. We also learn about the life of Nathaniel Hawthorne. How the lives of these two people connect is just another amazing story by Ms. Hoffman. Love her writing. Love her books. Definitely a must read.

Happy Wednesday!

I am feeling SO much better! Ever since the Seven Year Slip I have been gravitating towards magical realism books especially time travel and The Invisible Hour was the perfect book to pick up next!

“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”

What a beautiful authors note and tribute to the impact that books have on all of us. I adore Hoffman's writing and the way she weaves magic with true human struggle and strength. The Invisible Hour beautifully captures the determination and courage it takes to forge your own way and let go of what you’ve been told you are. Mia’s journey to gain her freedom while also learning a bit about Nathaniel Hawthore had me gripped until the very last page. If you’re into cults, women’s empowerment, and some time travel, definitely grab this one!

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the early copy

4 stars!

Grab your copy out 8/15!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is an absolute masterpiece by the amazing @ahoffmanwriter! I especially recommend it for literary fiction and historical fiction lovers.

This book tells the story of a young girl who rescues herself from a life of oppression and punishment experienced in a toxic patriarchal community. After the sudden loss of her mother Mia was ready to end it all until her secret reading brought her to the book that changed her path, a book that helped her find the strength she needed to escape. She finds a family in two lovely women who take her in and teach her what it’s like to be loved. Mia feels as if she owes everything she has become to the author who wrote the book that changed her life. If only she were alive in 1850.

This is such an important story of survival and the vital beauty and strength that books and art, of all kinds, can give us. It expresses the importance of women’s rights, how far they’ve come and how far there is still yet to go. Alice also sprinkles a little bit of magic and forbidden love but I won’t spoil that. You’ll have to read it yourself to find out! 🫶🏻 I loved every bit of this book and I highly recommend it! It’s a goodie!!

Opening the cover of a Alice Hoffman book is a lot like getting a carefully wrapped present from someone who is a bit unpredictable and also a bit quirky. The tantalizing surprise that awaits me every time i read one is best savored over a few days when I don't really have much of anything that I need to do.

Once again the sumptuous descriptive words Hoffman uses really adds so much to every book. The well-developed characters who are so fully fleshed out I feel as if I know them and a plot that completely captures my attention are all a part of the package.

While I have to admit, there have been a few of her books that I have not liked, very much this one was a winner!

I love Alice Hoffman. She hasn’t disappointed me since I began reading her work. In The Invisible Hour though, I was totally rocked, as the book took such an unexpected shift. I can’t spoil the book for readers, but I hope you will trust me when I say that although I wasn’t exactly sure where the story was heading, it certainly didn’t go the way I was expecting. It was so wonderful in its unexpectedness. Thank you so much to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read an arc in return for an honest review. 5 plus stars.

2.5 stars. I'm not entirely sure what this book wants to be. The first section was outstanding. It's the story of a young woman, pregnant and outcast from her rich Boston family, who gets drawn into a cult. Her daughter, Mia, grows up in the Community, secretly reading books from the public library and stealing special moments with her mother. When tragedy strikes, Mia's discovery of "The Scarlet Letter" saves her life and gives her the courage to run away. This section reads like a fairy tale and I really enjoyed the writing and the story. Then, the book gives way to a totally bizarre time travel romance - with Nathaniel Hawthorne, no less! - and I just couldn't find my way back into the story. It was cringey and awkward and not what I wanted/was hoping for with Mia's character at all. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital review copy.