Hoffman touches on some important talking points. She covers patriarchy, oppression, sexism, and time travel. Into all 270 pages— of this poignant novel— She has proven that less is more. You don't need a 400-page book to tell a beautifully written story. The author does a fabulous job of showing the importance of literature throughout society. At the same time, she showcases to the readers the profound healing powers that reading books can provide. I always say reading is my therapy.

The book is divided into three parts to track the different timelines of the characters—Ivy and Mia's story. Ivy is a young unwed woman who falls in with a cult run by a man named Joel, who will also become Mia's "father and her abusive husband . As Mia grows up, she is more and more constrained, and she begins to rebel against the harsh rules governed within the "community" especially the one that forbids the reading of books. Mia sneaks into the town library. She falls in love with literature as she discovers the Scarlet Letter and is amazed by its beauty and power—the librarian behind her. The friendship enriches Mia's life. Towards the end, Mia forges forward to create a better life for herself and her family.

The second part of the novel has Mia travel back in time to where Nathaniel Hawthorne is a struggling writer, where he and Mia meet and fall in love. The novel's third part is a harmonious blending of the present and past.

Women play a central role in the book, flowing seamlessly through the past and present; it touches on men's terrible treatment of women throughout history and how the power should shift back to women.

I loved the first and third parts of the book; the most. I didn't care for the second half's slower pace and Mia's time travel back to the past. My only minor issue is that one will have to suspend their disbelief to make the entirety of the plot plausible, which didn't distract from me thoroughly enjoying it. I just went with it and enjoyed the incredible journey

This book is about how books empower your life and the freedom that knowledge can give you. It's beautifully written, and the story will stay with me for quite some time.

I found this to be a poignant enthralling read. I highly recommend you read this book; if you're a fan of historical fiction and enjoy magical realism in your books. You won't be disappointed; I suggest you clear your calendars before reading.

This book deserves all the stars!!!

Five magical stars 🪄⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest magical book by Alice Hoffman - 5 stars!

Ivy is pregnant and alone, and her parents offer no help, so she ends up meeting a stranger heading to a commune that is supposed to be all about peace and love. But, of course, that's not the reality. The leader, Joel, becomes infatuated with Ivy and marries her. When Mia is born, she is sent to the nursery because the children belong to all. But Ivy and Mia nurture their bond when they can, including their love of books, which are forbidden. When Mia is at her lowest, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, saves her. The story then goes back in time to Hawthorne's life in Salem, MA.

I am always transported by Alice Hoffman's gorgeous writing, and this book was no exception. I loved the theme that books and libraries are magical. There are also the recurrent themes of women's place in both timelines and the control they have over their bodies and destinies. It's about family - both the ones we are born into and the ones we create - and always love and magic. Another wonderful world created by this author - don't skip the author note!

Happy publishing day!

The Invisible Hour
Author Alice Hoffman

Thank you, @bookclubfavorites, @atriabooks, @netgalley, and @ahoffmanwriter, for my #gifted e- arc and finished copy of this gorgeous novel! I am a big fan of Hoffman's and was thrilled to have the opportunity to read her latest early!

If you haven't read a Hoffman novel yet, her unique writing style is descriptive and immersive, magical and imaginative! Readers can expect nothing less than Hoffman's signature storytelling in The Invisible Hour as well! An intriguing story of love, growth, and the magic of reading, this novel shares a story of survival, motherhood, and fate.

I loved it! 4.5 stars!

“The Invisible Hour,” by Alice Hoffman, Atria Books, 272 pages, Aug. 15, 2023.

Mia Jacob says she began her life for the second time on a June day when she was 15.

Ivy, her mother, was pregnant with Mia when she went to live in an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden. Ivy was in high school when a college student impregnated her. She ran away from home. Joel Davis leads the cult.

That June day, Mia is locked in a barn with the sheep. Mia is supposed to repent. Her hair had been cut earlier when she wouldn’t leave her mother’s grave and she is to be branded for not obeying. Her most recent offense was possessing books. Instead, she is prepared to escape.

She also hid her favorite book, “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Although it was written 150 years earlier, “The Scarlet Letter” seems to tell the story of Ivy, Mia and the cult. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote: “A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.” When she breaks out of the barn, Mia runs to the library and calls a friendly librarian, Sarah Mott, who drives her to a friend, Constance Allen, who lives in Concord.

Back in time to 1837, Nathaniel Hawthorne is prone to depression. As a child, he was homebound for years because of an injury. He begins writing. His first works aren’t successful. But early one morning, he walks into the forest and he sees a woman, lying in the grass. It is Mia.

This is a mesmerizing story of women helping other women, and how one woman learns to save herself. The characters and the plot are amazing. Alice Hoffman is also the author of the Practical Magic series, which I also really enjoyed.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss and NetGalley in exchange for a review.

3.5⭐️

As the novel begins, we meet fifteen-year-old Mia Jacob as she plans her escape from the oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where she has spent all her young life. Mia was born to Ivy Jacob, a teenager from an affluent family in Boston who left when pregnant with Mia and joined the community headed by Joel Davis whom Ivy later marries- a decision she soon comes to regret. Joel is controlling and life in the commune is governed by strict rules and regulations and minimal contact with the outside world and those found guilty of any indiscretion are severely punished. Mia has broken the rules by visiting the library on the sly and reading books. On one of her visits, Mia finds an old copy of The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the library and falls in love with the story, which she finds bears similarity to her mother’s life and is intrigued by the inscription inside the book. When tragedy strikes Mia finds no reason to remain with the cult. The narrator follows Mia as forges a new life for herself with the help of Sarah, the town librarian. Her love for books and reading remains a driving force in her life. However, Joel never backs down from his pursuit of Mia. In a surprising turn of events adult Mia finds herself transported to 1837 where she meets young author Nathaniel Hawthorne – a meeting that would irrevocably impact the lives of both Mia and the young author.

Revolving around themes of mother-daughter relationships, found family, women’s rights, hope, healing and the power of books, The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman is a beautifully penned novel. However, I enjoyed the premise of this story more than the execution. I really liked the protagonist and the supporting female characters. I loved how the author depicts the transformative power of books and how Mia finds inspiration and hope through her love for reading. The first half of the novel had me hooked but my interest waned in the second half. I would have enjoyed this novel more had we spent more time with Mia in the years after she escaped from the cult instead of rushing through it (more telling than showing) to the point when adult Mia traveled back in time. The commentary on women’s rights, both historically and in the present day, was timely and relevant but could have been presented better if more deeply embedded in the narrative. The use of magical realism and the time travel element wasn't as impactful as one would expect. The latter half of the novel where Mia meets Nathaniel Hawthorne was interesting, but I wasn’t quite invested in this part of the story. The past and present timelines felt a tad disjointed, resulting in a narrative that lacked both cohesion and depth.

Overall, while I did not dislike the story, I did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

I must mention the author’s exquisitely penned, heartfelt letter to the reader where she talks about her inspiration for this novel and much more.

Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy of The Invisible Hour. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Although I’m a huge fan of Alice Hoffman’s historical fiction novels, I am not really a fan of magical realism. Mia is born into a cult community which enforces many rules for behavior and prohibits the reading of books. A bit of a rogue, Mia sneaks into a library and starts reading books, particularly The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, which changes her life. The novel begins with a very tense description of her escape and then circles back to how she came to be at this community. Unfortunately I found the writing to be ordinary and the characters not very interesting. Eventually the story takes a turn and we find ourselves back in the 1800s getting to know Nathaniel Hawthorne and his impact on Mia. There is a bit of a cat and mouse chase between two characters. I’m not really sure where Hoffman was going with this story except to impress upon the reader how important libraries and especially books are in our lives. I can say that the book held my attention as I read it in just a few days. If you are a fan of magical realism then this might be the book for you.

The Invisible Hour is different from my usual mystery books that I love to read. I must say Alice Hoffman is an expert storyteller that captured me from the beginning of this book. Any book written by Alice Hoffman is a wonderful read.

With THE INVISIBLE HOUR, Alice Hoffman once again wields her storytelling magic in the story of young women facing dilemmas between who they are at heart versus the person others expect them to be. While there is a strong focus on a woman's ownership of her own body, appearance and movement and reproduction, other aspects resonate as powerfully: the right to read, to learn, to move freely and discuss ideas, swim in the pond, love one's child. Between the distant past and the present, Hoffman shares the fates and decisions of strong, intelligent women insisting upon thinking for themselves and loving who they love, all based in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, with a deft management of Utopian ideals, Puritan realities, and our current time with time-traveling, books, mothers and daughters, all the themes that Hoffman explores so well. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Me crying on the train over the librarian love. The first part was by far better but I liked it, Alice magic in full effect

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 3.5/5

I really liked the first 1/3 of the book. I found Ivy and Mia’s journey while at the community very powerful. Ivy left her house searching for a better life for her and her daughter and I admire that. They are both such strong women.
When the story drifted toward Nathaniel’s story it got a little confusing and boring. If found the story hard to follow and it felt like another book after Part 2. I can appreciate the authors attempt to tell a story where two words meet but I just could not connect the dots when I got to the end. Maybe it’s above my intelligence and just went over my head.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

“The Invisible Hour” by Alice Hoffman (5 stars) (pub day TOMORROW! 08/15/2023!) is a story in love with love. Love of self, love of power, love of life, love of nothing, love of control, misguided love, sacrificial love, and exciting new love. Passionate love, obsessive love, and comforting, protective love. Sexual love, parental love, sibling love, childlike love, and family-of-the heart love. Love of books, love of nature, love of stories, love of home, and love of place. Love of time and love of what is yet to come. So many uses of the word ‘love’, but really. It is what it is and you should read it.

Positives: The mechanism in which the main characters come together (spoiler avoidance here), was familiar but not overcooked It relied on the reader to accept at face value the logistics in play and that time and space technicalities and theory don’t need to be an integral or productive use of my time. I was good with not having to think deeply about this and gleefully gave myself over to the love stories. All 782 of them layered throughout the story. I also appreciated the not-so-subtle stance on the importance of women’s bodily autonomy, and the feeling of hope woven throughout. It was bad, it got a bit better, and it’s still not great to be a woman in America. But i might get better. And that optimism is a comfortable, warm, blanket to throw on in the chill of reality.

Wish List: I’ve racked my brain and really…almost nothing. I only felt off balance at one point when I couldn’t figure out my “place in time” for the start of the story. I’m still uncertain but I think that can be considered value-add with how the story develops.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read by netgalley and Atria Books. The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #TheInvisibleHour #netgalley @ahoffmanwriter #alicehoffman @atriabooks

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Review will be Shared on bookseller websites - 8/15/2023
Publishing Review 8/14/2023

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Alice Hoffman for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities." That couldn't be more true for Mia Davis, a 15-year-old who is a dreamer despite growing up in a community where reading a book is considered a sin. A community run by a man who uses words to twist the minds of those around him. As Mia learns more and more about the outside world, she stumbles across a book that changes her life. In fact, it saves her.

The twists, the romance, and the inspiration for another great masterpiece are mind-blowing. I had so much fun with this book that I literally read it in one day. This is why I fell in love with books—stories like this one. Where you think, Wow, the imagination is limitless; The writing is a chef's kiss, as they say nowadays, and the self-discovery is even better, Thank you, Alice, for this inspirational story. I've never been more proud to be a woman.

4.5 stars

The Invisible Hour is now added to some of favorites reads by Alice Hoffman. This story drew me in effortlessly and enchanted me with its connection to a classic novel.

Ivy is outsider in her affluent home, and runs away when she finds herself pregnant at sixteen. She lands at the doorstep of a western Massachusetts community (cult). Its here she's seen and cherished by its leaders as she raises her daughter, Mia for the next sixteen years. Her daughter becomes inquisitive in her learnings which goes against the ways of the cult. Mia finds power in words, and secretly visits the local library befriending the librarian. In the stacks Mia finds the the following words in The Scarlet Letter - a story of women who loved her daughter more than anything, more than life.

"To Mia, If it was a dream, it was ours alone and you were mine."

In true Hoffman fashion, magic lies in Mia's connection to Hawthorne. Her connection to the nineteenth century showcase struggles women are still facing today. This is a wonderfully creative novel especially for lovers of this classic tale. Books are truly a portal to a fantastical time and place as The Scarlet Letter literally speaks to both mother and daughter.

The Invisible Hours is NOT to be missed as it is a captivating story.

Thank you Atria Books for the complimentary copy.

Alice Hoffman is my new go-to for cozy magical reads! I read the Practical Magic series last year and I was really intrigued by what else this author has to offer. I am here to say I LOVED The Invisible Hour! It has magic, cults, beautiful descriptions of New England and a strong female character. I loved the tie ins to The Scarlett Letter too! This is a brilliant book and will be perfect for a cozy autumn night in!

I struggled with this one.
The first past was fine and I cheered Mia’s independence and hoped something dreadful would befall Joel.
I thought the juxtaposition to Nathaniel Hawthorne was jarring and abrupt. It’s like the narrative jumped the curb and plowed straight into oncoming traffic.
I didn’t enjoy the part with Hawthorne.
I thought the time hop would occur much earlier than it did.

After reading the Practical Magic series, this book would be great on a shelf right next to them. I loved the magical writing I know Hoffman for, and the cult inclusion was great too. Her writing is so beautiful and creates a believable sense of magic.

I just love a Hoffman book, always amazed by her range of settings and characters while always offering deft notes of magical realism, strong female characters, and engaging plots. The Invisible Hour is great, an ode in a way to the value and power/importance of books (alas still a timely topic) as well as an examination of how decisions impact multiple lives. I am always here for a book that has themes on cults as awareness of these themes is also still valuable and relevant and I valued how Hoffman developed this part of the book in the first part of the story as well as the mother/daughter relationship.
Reading a Hoffman book does mean you need to expect the magical realism/somewhat fantastical elements of her stories but here, once again, these add resonance to the themes she is trying to present: we are all looking at times to escape (books can do this), we all yearn to understand our lives and the lives of others we love, and we all seek connection and meaning.

I appreciate the review copy from Atria, who via S&S Bookclub favorites, also sent me a well loved physical copy as well. With appreciation for a book from a favorite author!

recommended for fans of Hoffman as well as readers open to a different kind of magical realism and homage to books and how books can save lives. A great discussion book for book clubs!

I was sucked into the story at the start. Ivy's story of finding herself pregnant and running away only to end up as part of a cult with little to no contact with the outside world was both sad and interesting. Especially when the cult leader takes a liking to her and she ends up marrying him before realizing that this is all a mistake. From their we following Mia, Ivy's daughter and how the community tries to keep children separate from their parents, since they believe children belong to everyone. Mia finds her escape in books thanks to the librarian in the neighboring town. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the book Mia credits with saving her life because she feels like it is telling her mother's story. Mia manages to escape the community but the cult's leader is not willing to let her go so easily. Mia learns that books can transport you to another place, literally. She finds herself back in time with the beloved author she credits with keeping her alive. I enjoyed the story a lot but was a bit jarred when Mia ended up time traveling, since the story really didn't have a magical element to it up to that point. Despite this, I still had a good time reading this book.

This is the first Alice Hoffman book I've read. Gasp! I know, right? Well, if all of hers are THIS good, them I'm her newest fan. I can't even begin to review this without spoilers. If you love "The Scarlet Letter" and a bit of magic mixed in, this is the book for you. It wasn't SO woo-woo as to be unbelievable, but wow. What a beautifully written story. I loved all the characters (at least the ones we are SUPPOSED to love) and the ending was divine. Perfect for crisp fall days and with a bit of dreaming.

This was not at all what I expected, but in the absolute best way! I definitely questioned it a few times and braced for disappointment, but it was perfectly executed despite being out of my comfort genre.