There are times in life when a book will appear that reads as though it was written for you, Its message will be personal, its words so captivating that it must be a dream. Some of you will be lucky to have this experience once in a lifetime or if you're very lucky, many different times. Some books enter your life when they have a message specifically for you, to get you to shift, pivot, turn, or change things around, in order to take back control of the story of your life. Sometimes you hide in the shadows or live your life unseen from your heart's desires. Books are those messengers whose magic words render everything so visible and so bright you simply cannot ignore your truth any longer. Like the main character Mia in this story, a book saves her life altering her fate which in turn awakens the destiny of the author who will one day write a story so captivating that it must be a dream. There's a bit of fantasy in this story via time travel, but I believe it's a metaphor for the power of stories to transport its readers and the ability of books to defy time and place. How is it possible to feel as though a book written long before you were born is telling your story or a book already published predicts your future better than you ever could? These are the enchanting questions that Mia and Nathaniel ask and answer in this spellbinding story. When a book enters your life that feels as though it was written for you and about you consider it fate, that invisible magic that opens your heart helping you to see what you couldn't see before. To write your own story and to love your story is the exact same thing.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Magical Realism is my absolute favorite genre. I wish it had a category of its own. Alice is definitely one of the best female writers in this genre.
This was a great story, with time travel, mother's love, and love of books. Hoffman never disappoints.

The Invisible Hour was a moving story about the love of a mother for her child, the wonder of books, and true love knowing no boundaries, even those of time and space. Alice Hoffman captured the oppression of women through the ages and the beauty that books can unlock in the lives of readers. This book was a must-read! Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the advance copy!

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The Invisible Hour (ARC)
Author: Alice Hoffman
Source: NetGalley
Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023
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The Invisible Hour, written by Alice Hoffman, was a book with a rambling story featuring lead protagonist Mia, who is the daughter of Ivy and a time traveler. Mia is raised in a cult, escapes being rescued by two loving and liberal ladies who are librarians, then time travels to meet Nathanial Hawthorne to encourage him to write The Scarlett Letter. Wow. This book was disjointed and chaotic yet I remain a tremendous fan of Alice Hoffman, and I will read every book she writes. I thought the book's first half was five stars, but the second half was stuck in a strange time warp for a 2-star read. The cover is beautiful, the writer is grand, but the story lacks consistency for me. My apologies.
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Atria Books, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: August 2023.
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#Fiction #ContemporaryWomen #TimeTravel #NathanialHawthorne #LiteraryFiction #Fantasy
#Historical #AdultFiction #MagicalRealism #WomensRights #TheInvisibleHour #AliceHoffman @netgalley @atriabooks #alicehoffman #book #books #bookstagram #read #reader

Alice Hoffmann newest book The Invisible Hour was very good.

The storyline was solid but i got a little confused towards the end and then I realized what she did and had a face palm moment and had to go back and start over.

This was a heartbreaking love story of a mother’s love for her child and that child’s escape from something horrible.

I can not say enough about Alice’s books, she brings you on these intense journeys that bring you to the precipice and yanks you back again.

I love everything she writes and definitely recommend this one!

Finished ✔️ The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman and really enjoyed it. 🥰
4 ⭐️’s
Publish Date: August 15th, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: No
Enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and enduring magic of books.
Talks about The Scarlet Letter
Beautifully written
Well told story
Enjoyed the intricate details of the story.
Alice Hoffman tells amazing stories
Yes, id recommend this book 📕
#DeesReading #DeesRecs #DeesBookRecommendations #BookNerds #BookNerdProblems #BookNerdsUnited #BookProblems #BookProblems101 #BookNerds101 #Bookworms #BookwormProblems #BooksOfFacebook #DeeTheBookReviewer #BookReviewer #NewToMeAuthor #AliceHoffman #ReadOfTheDay #BookOfTheDay #TheInvisibleHour #NetGalley

As a huge fan of Alice Hoffman, I was so glad to receive this free eARC from Netgalley.

I love the magical realism genre and
Alice Hoffman is a master at this form.

The underlying theme is timely - that women should have control of their bodies, selves and lifestyles. However, I didn't find the book to be preachy in any way.

In all honesty I felt the second part of the book dragged on too long. While I loved Mai I could have done with less about Nathaniel

I recommend giving this book a try

Amazing book. This book had a really good story and the element of time travel made it magical. I love this author and her books. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book as part of a NetGalley ARC book. I absolutely loved the first part of this story. I found it an intriguing, page-turner, but the middle and ending really took me by surprise. I will use the new term which I have heard used recently in describing Winnipeg "I didn't NOT NOT like the remainder of it, but I did find it long with some very unusual plots involving not only Mia but Joel, as well. I am not a fan of science fiction or witch craft or other-worldly type of plot turns and this took place around the middle of this story and onwards.

Without giving any spoilers, Alice Hoffman is a great author, and this book opened up a lot of interest for me to Nathaniel Hawthorne, his writings and the era he lived in. I want to thank the author. Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, Inc. and NetGalley for the opportunity and privilege of reading an advance copy.

Alice Hoffman is such a recognizable author that I knew I'd want to read her latest release. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review. Five stars from me. I enjoyed the Western Mass setting because that's where I live. The concept of the story was different just as I expected from Hoffman. I'm happy that I was able to read the story!

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books/Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Any books by Alice Hoffman are always an auto-read for me. Her beautiful prose and inventive stories always have a bit of magic and The Invisible Hour did not disappoint.

Heartbreaking, beautiful and infuriating at times as we still seem to be in a time where women are still fighting for control of their own bodies, it’s a tale that was timely in Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter and today in 2023.

Overall: If you want heartbreak and wonder interwoven with a creative story that always boggles the mind of how Hoffman can weave her words with a thread of magic, this book is for you.

Alice Hoffman's latest book "The Invisible Hour" is incredibly meaningful for the times we live in. A clever story weaving time travel, magic and women's rights into a compelling package, I couldn't put this one down. An unwed mother flees to a cult community where books are forbidden and disobedience is severely punished. Her daughter finds solace and courage in the local library where she discovers a Nathaniel Hawthorne novel mysteriously inscribed to her. What follows is a magical journey with a satisfying ending. Highly recommended.

This book was disjointed, the timelines were weird, and in the second half of the book the narrator was never clear. This book felt as if it were put together too quickly.

I loved Mia! She came through loud and clear how reading can take you away. Her amazing bravery was felt throughout.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this advanced copy of The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman. First off, if I could give this book six stars I would. Second, I have long been a fan of her writing. Like her other stories, this one uses magical realism in an effective way.

Pregnant teenager Ivy leaves her home feeling all alone and ends up in a commune in western Mass. After the birth of her baby, Mia, she realizes her mistake. Children are shared in the commune, meaning they are raised by everyone and to single a child out as your own is forbidden. Mia, is raised in this subjugating compound where if you disobey, you have to wear letters of your sin or even be branded, much like The Scarlet Letter, which features prominently in this book. Somehow she retains her strength and can still see beauty in the world. One day, her mother lets her visit the library (also not allowed) and she falls in love with book, with Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter in particular. I won’t say more except this is a must read for Hoffman fans and everyone else. It’s pure magic and I could not put it down!

From sheltered cult to a public library led entry to the wider world. Pure Alice Hoffman but with an (intriguing) slant. Dual timelines and both work

This almost reads like two different books. Part One is about a mother and daughter in a cult, and how Mia, the daughter, breaks free. The rest of the novel will require suspending disbelief as Mia and her favorite book/author experience something unique.

I have some questions about the plot, but don't want to post spoilers here. See my Goodreads review for more.

*This ARC copy was provided by Atria Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion. Here are my thoughts...

In Hoffman's newest novel she takes us to a community in which a branded A on your arm stands for Acts of wickedness or for Anarchy; punishments include beatings and shorn hair; a community in which all children belong to all of the families. But Ivy needed a place to stay, a place to call her own and raise her daughter, some place safe. And so she became a part of The Community, marrying their leader, Joel, and playing along in the role to keep her daughter safe, for if she tried to leave Joel would take Mia from Ivy. But eventually Mia grew to be a beautiful red haired young woman with fantasies of her own, thanks to her mother allowing her to visit the local library. It is there she comes across a magical book with an inscription made out to her by Nathanial Hawthorne, and she knows that this book is meant for her.

This novel is beautifully enchanting. The time travel element took me by surprise, but it was a pleasant addition to the story, tying in Mia's modern world with the world of Nathanial Hawthorne. With vibrant imagery and lyrical storytelling, I was transported to another place and time, longing for fall and apple picking. This was thoroughly an enjoyable reading experience, Ms. Hoffman did not disappoint (does she ever??) with this one.

This is the third book b Alice Hoffman I've read and I enjoyed this one as much as I did the others. This story has an alternate timeline and while i usually find in books that have an alternate timeline that one is stronger than the other I found both timelines equally engaging. What I particularly enjoyed about his novel was the theme of how books inspire and empower the readers. I think this book would be enjoyed by most people.

Alice Hoffman at her best. Mis grows up sheltered in a commune in the Northest. She is sheltered from the outside world until her mother tells her to sneak a peak in a public library. From there her world opens up.
Deeply moving and full of wonder and enchantment. A must read.