Another beautiful spellbinding tale that Alice Hoffman has crafted. I am so thankful that I got to read this ARC. I have loved all of her work. This one was truly special. Like her classic work but with a time traveling twist and sprinkles of literature.

I was a litte skeptical about the storyline at the beginning because it was eerily similar to other ‘cult like’ books I have read. However, I was hooked when the main character finds a book that saves her life and gives her courage to flee her imprisonment.

I received a temporary digital advanced copy of The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman from NetGalley, Atria Books and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mia Jacob has lived her entire life in The Community, a cult that drew her mother in in a moment of desperation, but all Mia wants is out. As Mia stands at the river's edge ready to take her life, she pulls out The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and begins to read. The story speaks to her and to the life she has experienced in The Community, but how is that even possible?

Having read some of Hoffman's other works, I appreciated the threads she wove into The Invisible Hour - the red boots, the red hair, the small house in the woods, Salem, the bits of magic. I requested Hoffman's novel, I didn't completely read the book's synopsis; when I got half way through the novel, I was completely thrown by the time travel and felt as if I was reading a separate novel. Nevertheless, Hoffman's writing style and gorgeous descriptions kept me reading. The novel does come together and if I had read the entirety of the synopsis, I think I would have understood where the story was going and appreciated it a bit more.

Alice Hoffman has again written a captivating historical fiction with a smidgen of time-travel tossed in. She explores the lives of women and girls in both puritan times and in male-dominated societal cults. The Invisible Hour also examines "The Butterfly Effect" theory of time travel. This tale also references events from her novel, The Red Garden, which is also an excellent novel based in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. I loved this story and was captivated by it.

Alice Hoffman has the unique ability to be the true north to your magnet. She will lure you into her world of magical realism, setting you on a journey of unbelievable adventures.

This book is about the power of the written word and the resilience of women. A book’s ability to touch the reader’s soul and change the direction of their lives. It is also about the capacity of women to adapt but never give up, finding the courage to live their lives as they choose. This is so true, even today.

Please mark this one down. It is set to be published in August, 2023.

Thank you, Net Galley for the opportunity of reading this book.

This book was very captivating. The power of books and the effects they have on lives was very moving. It was interesting to be reminded of how far women have come in this society and how little we were valued as people who had anything to contribute in the past. It was a very enlightening and enjoyable book!!

My favorite author didn’t disappoint with this lovely story that is basically a love letter to books, authors, libraries and librarians. I kept looking down at how much was left in the book in my kindle and found myself getting sad when nearing the end because it’s the kind of story that you don’t want to end. These women! How relevant is this theme right now? So many issues about trust and innocence and evil men. But I love how the author shows her love of libraries and librarians and how the impact of being kind can affect someone, especially a lost soul. Just so special.

I really enjoy Hoffman's writing. She is a gifted writer and I enjoy her unique style. I absolutely loved the first half of this book. Unfortunately, as many other reviewers mentioned, the second part felt like a research paper. If you don't mind suspending reality and time travel, this book may be for you. It was not my favorite book of hers.

I loved this book! Mia is a child just trying to survive her life in a commune with her Mother. Mother came to this place to find refuge when she was pregnant with Mia. A refuge it was not. Mia struggles daily to complete her daily tasks and to be the person those in charge demand she be.. Life is not easy in the commune, where children work but do not really go to school. No books or other influences from the outside world are permitted. Mia has little hope in this grey wasteland of a life until she discovers a Library. When Mia finds The Scarlet Letter she feels as if, the author understands her and her life. The book gives Mia hope for the first time. Through a strange chain of events, Mia will learn that there is always hope in the darkness and that impossible dreams can come true.

Alice Hoffman is a gifted writer, so it pains me to write a less than favorable review of The Invisible Hour. This book was not given the attention it deserved by the editors. There are timeline inconsistencies, storyline inconsistencies, and weak writing in the section about Nathaniel Hawthorne, which reads in large part like a Wikipedia entry (I'm sure of this because I stopped mid-book to read what Wikipedia said about Hawthorne and then had a deja vu experience reading the facts again in the book, in a similar fashion). The best part of the book was Hoffman's brief and beautiful introduction about her mother's work, which was worthy of greater treatment on its own. I guess it's too late to fix the book, but I wish it could be done.

This began with so much potential. My heart was literally racing as I lived beside Ivy, Joel, and Mia. I loved the discussion through the beginning of the text about the importance of literature.
However, my love for literature has a foundation. That foundation is the Bible. God’s living, breathing Word.
If that is the same for you, this book will not work. It twists too much.
May we be discerning and of a firm foundation.

Additionally, I agree with other reviewers who acknowledge that plot wise the second half of the book feels completely disconnected to the first. Too much attention was paid toward getting a liberal point across than creating a quality, literary piece.

Thank you NetGalley for an opportunity to read this title ahead of the publication date.

I am a huge fan of Alice Hoffman! This book did not disappoint. The author incorporates magic in her stories and it provides one more layer of imagination that who knows may come true. I'm not generally a fantasy reader but when I read books by this author it pulls me into a genre worth exploring. If you like Alice Hoffman make sure to put this on your to-read list.

I was provided a copy of the book for an honest review.

Picked this one up because I really enjoyed the Practical Magic series. This novel was just ok to me and fell a little flat in some places

Glad that I got to read this early. I like her Practical Magic series, but this one was just okay. Got a bit boring in the second half and very unrealistic. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Such a beautiful story! I found myself highlighting so many passages throughout the book. This was an enchanting ode to the power of books and the importance of libraries. And having it exist in the same universe as The Red Garden made the experience even sweeter. Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Alice Hoffman creates magic with every sentence, every description and with every mood. She has an enchanting way with words that transcends the ordinary into the extraordinary. The Invisible Hour is unique, a love letter to the power of words, books and women.
Mia lives with her mother on a commune run by authoritarian Josh, and although it is modern day the women there have no more freedom or control over their lives than they did hundreds of years ago. 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. What’s more the book is dedicated to her by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Mia finding the courage to run away is given a second life with two librarians who love and raise her, and finds within her the means and magic to transport back in time meeting Hawthorne himself.
A beautiful and enchanting book in Alice Hoffman’s unforgettable unique style. The cover is perfect for this book.