Ever since reading the Practical Magic series I have been a huge Alice Hoffman fan so I was ecstatic to get a chance to read The Invisible Hour. In addition to being a fan of Alice Hoffman, I am also incredibly fascinated by cults so in this story to be able to combine the two I knew that I was going to enjoy this novel. I was immediately drawn to Mia with her being a fellow book lover and using novels as a way of escaping her reality. In the community she lives in she is the daughter of the wife of the leader, which you would think might give her some leeway but this cult is incredible oppressive. No reading is allowed at all but her mother grew up outside of the cult so secretly introduced her to the world behind a library's doors. As a child I spent a lot of time at the library with my own mother so it felt as though we were kindred spirits in a way. These books gave Mia such strength which allowed her to realize there was more to life than what she was being offered by the community she lived in. I don't want to say much more about the plot to give anything away but I will say that the way Alice Hoffman writes about Mia's love for Nathaniel Hawthorne and the book The Scarlet Letter made me want to give that novel another chance. I had read it many years ago and was not a fan but because of this book, I want to try reading it again to see it from another perspective. I absolutely loved The Invisible Hour and continue to think about it nearly every day. To me that is the mark of a good book.

5 Stars

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I remember waiting for this book to come out. I was so excited I was sent an ARC at the time. It was a beautiful, witchy like read. I actually own a physical copy now. Alice Hoffman is one of favorite authors! :)

The Invisible Hour, Alice Hoffman's latest novel, is a story about mothers and daughters, the love of books, the sanctuary of a library, and an ode to Nathaniel Hawthorne. It contains the beautiful, magical prose that Alice Hoffman is known for, but falls abit flat for me, especially compared to her other novels. Towards the midway point, the novel takes a switch from a modern day story of survival and redemption to a strange time-traveling romance, which just did not work for me. It felt disjointed and unneeded and lost my interest at that point. I loved Mia, the main character, but missed following her journey as told in the first half or the story. Just felt like a strange leap at the mid-way point without much discussion as to why.

Sadly this was a DNF. I love Alice Hoffman and have enjoyed every one of her books I’ve read. Invisible Hour didn’t live up to my expectations.

I generally enjoy Alice Hoffman's books. I very much liked the first part of the book, but did not particularly like the 2nd part.

As usual, Alice did not disappoint. I absolutely loved this book, just as I had her others. I was instantly drawn into the plot of the story and the characters. The power of books and their importance is beautiful. I also loved the aspect of the woman breaking free from the cult. I just loved it overall.

Banned Books, Banned artwork, cults, magical realism and time travel. I'm always in awe at what Alice Hoffman creates. She is a fantastic storyteller. I loved this tale of a young girl getting trapped in a cult and her daughter escaping the cult and going back in time. This book is heavy with loss and grief. I found myself near tears many times. Definitely a book that will stay with me.

Alice Hoffman writes lyrically with prose that touches the heart. When Ivy finds out out is pregnant, she sees limited choices after disappointing her wealthy Boston parents. Ivey runs away and ends up in a community that is a cult. When Ivy has Mia, she realizes her mistake but cannot escape. Mia finds escape through the books she steals from the local library. Both reading and the library are prohibited, but Mia finds a different path. I would give the first half of the book five stars, but when the magical realism comes into play, Mia time travels back to 1837, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter is what gave her the strength to leave, but the story becomes a little too unrealistic. Recommended for the beautiful writing and heartfelt emotions. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity.

Ivy is a scared teenager—pregnant with nowhere to go. She finds the Community, an isolated commune that she thinks is the answer to her problems.

But once she gives birth to her daughter Mia, Ivy realizes the idyllic farm is not the paradise she’d hoped for.

When she’s 15, Mia runs away from the only home she’s ever known.

She runs to her true home—the town library, where she finds shelter and safety in the form of librarian Sarah and her partner Constance.

Mia starts a new life, carrying with her just her treasured book, The Scarlet Letter, with a mysterious inscription.

As she grows to adulthood and becomes a librarian herself, Mia slips back in time and meets her hero, her idol, Nathaniel Hawthorne.

But she must choose—love in the past, or a future she must build herself.

***

Alice Hoffman’s latest is a love letter to books and the power of reading.

Through Mia, she explores how one book can transform the way you see your life, and yourself.

I’m a fan of Hoffman’s work, and The Scarlet Letter is one of all-time favorites, so I was excited to read this. And it didn’t disappoint. This was quintessential Hoffman—lots of witch-y, woodsy vibes. It was a quick, engrossing read even though there weren’t any great surprises in the story.

Check out this book if you love books or stories about the unbreakable love between a mother and child.

Thanks to @netgalley for the eARC!

a heartbreaking novel that will take you to so many hard decisions, a woman who must change everything all the rules that she was raised with, love is stronger than any community or any rules, love should be and only be the thing. The story of Mia who fell in love with books and stories and then with a writer.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the advanced copy of The Invisible Hour in exchange for my honest review.

While The Invisible Hour was not my favorite Alice Hoffman book, I enjoyed many aspects of this novel. I completely loved the first part of the novel but then it kind of turns into a whole other story. It was hard for me to connect with Part 2 of the novel but I tired. It was a little far fetched as well which did not help me make the connections that I usually make with a Hoffman novel. I will still continue to read her books though because she does have a way with words that draws me in.

This was my first Alice Hoffman book. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that she has written many others and has quite the following. As I progressed through the book, it became clear very quickly that Alice Hoffman knows how to create magic. The story is very multi-layered, with several things happening within the plots. On one hand, the main character is in our contemporary world, trying desperately to escape the cult that she has found herself entrenched in. On the other hand, there's a mystical realm that plays a big part in Mia's journey. It's a wonderfully detailed, magical story. A definite recommend!

As always, I am a tremendous fan of Anne Hoffman and enjoyed this weaving, magical tale of mother and daughter, of two women finding themselves in a world designed to prevent them from blooming.

This was enjoyable but it lacked Hoffman's signature magic. There's something beautiful about the way Alice Hoffman writes, how she weaves magic throughout her novels, and the way characters end up connecting in the end. The Invisible Hour did not have those elements that I look forward to when I pick up a novel by Alice Hoffman. This was just enjoyable, but not a story that will stick with me. I am sorry this one missed the mark for me, but I do think others will enjoy it! I can't wait to see what Hoffman writes next.

I received an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

I have a hard time reviewing this book, because it's divided into three parts and really feels like three distinct works. I enjoyed the first half, where we meet the main character Mia, and her mother Ivy. There is an abrupt shift in setting, tone, and character arc around halfway through the book, and it lost me a bit. There are elements of magical realism that I wasn't anticipating. The descriptions of the book do not mention this plot twist, as it is the crux of the novel and would really spoil things, but had I known about it, I probably would have skipped this book and opted instead to read something from Alice Hoffman's back catalog. Her beautiful writing and storytelling is present here as in her other novels, but this one didn't stand out to me.

This book was a quick read for me. I looked up after my first sitting with it and had read about 20%!

This story helped me realize why I had such big dreams for myself when I was a kid. I envisioned a life that I had never experienced before, almost like a fairytale, because i was a reader. And readers are believers and achievers.

I liked the book but the ending fell a little flat for me.

A beautiful story filled with heartbreak and just a touch of magic.
The story follows Mia, raised by her mom in a cult called the Community where women don’t have rights. Reading the Scarlet Letter which she snuck from the library brings her such a sense of familiarity, almost as if it was written about her mom and upbringing . But as she tempts fate with the outside world, her life becomes more entwined with that of the author, himself, Nathaniel Hawthorne. This is a heart wrenching novel not only about love and heartbreak, but courage and fighting for yourself and the ones you love. Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC.

This book had me in my feelings. I love books about books and when combined with thoughtful storytelling, love, and intersected with family, it was just captivating. I did feel like something was missing but overall and did not quite seem like a usual Alice Hoffman book. Overall I liked it and found myself continuing to think about. Thank you for the ARC!

Alice Hoffman always delivers a superior story that stays with me and I keep thinking about how she wove the strands together.
Thank you for sharing this book with me.

Although not my favorite Alice Hoffman book, I loved the writing in this one. The author is able to build a compelling story and clearly demonstrates strong character development. The theme of importance of books is near and dear to my heart and any book lover would find this novel to be an authentic portrayal of the magic of books. Alice Hoffman has an easy to read but elegant writing style that will easily capture the hearts of many readers. I will definitely continue to pick up her books in the future.