It is always a joy to read a book by Alice Hoffman, her beautiful writing and her imagination always make for an enchanting and enthralling experience, as she perceptively points out, a book in itself is nothing, stories only come alive when they are read. This one will particularly resonate for book lovers, with its exploration and understanding of the power of libraries and books to open new worlds, to illuminate, to empower change and heightens the capacity to dream. Totalitarian regimes have always understood that books represent a threat to their ability to control and hold power, it's no wonder that they have a history of banning books. Here the repressive regime is a West Massachusetts rural community cult under the leadership of the charismatic Joel Davis.

Ivy Jacobs is her own woman, she loves books, she is rejected and vilified for being pregnant, and stumbles across the cult and Davis, ending up marrying him not long after, believing she has found safety and security, but all is not idyllic as it initially appears. Cult members are subject to harsh controlling rules, restrictions and punishments, where contact with the outside world and books are forbidden. Ivy develops a strong connection with her daughter, Mia, who grows up in the dark world of the cult. When Mia hits rock bottom, she finds unexpected succour and salvation in a library and a 19th century book, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, which speaks to her in ways that she desperately needs. This is to lead to the marvel of time travelling.

Hoffman makes the ordinary extraordinary, infused with a sense of magic and time travel, as she movingly shines a light on the courage and resilience of women, liberty, the power of books in the face of harrowing challenges, the love, the strength of mother-daughter relationships and underlines how women have been treated in the past. Whilst it would be wonderful to say times have changed, chilling political contemporary realities show how any progress made when it comes to women's rights is under constant threat. There is hope, wonder and light in the darkness in this marvellous read, about women, with Hoffman weaving her trademark spellbinding narrative as she pays homage to the magic of books. Highly recommended! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

This was a book of two halfs for me, one of which I enjoyed and one I didn't.

The first half is the story of Ivy, who runs away from home as a 16 year old when she falls pregnant and joins a cult. The story then moves on to also tell the story of her daughter, Mia. This was the section I enjoyed well enough - the characters were strong and the power of reading was well portrayed as the whole story had a kind of fairy tale feel to it, with a wicked stepfather (who also felt a bit like a big bad wolf), the motif of red (boots, not riding hood), lots of apples being connected to bad things, the equivalents of fairy godmothers to the rescue, beautiful little cottages in the trees.

The second half took a very different path though and I'm afraid it lost me there (I'm trying to avoid spoilers!). Alice Hoffman is, of course, well known as a writer of magical realism so I shouldn't have been at all surprised by that but it's just not my thing.

Those who are fans of magical realism may very well love the book though!

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in return for an honest review.
#TheInvisibleHour #NetGalley

Another captivating and mesmerising read from Alice Hoffman. I couln't put this book down - I absolutely loved it! Please go out and get yourself a copy! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted ARC.

This was my first Alice Hoffman book and I absolutely loved it. I read it in one sitting and can't wait to read her other books now. The story despite really being in 3 parts manages to hold one's attention throughout. I was a little surprised by the sudden trip back in time half way through but it all made sense in the narrative. A lovely, lovely book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

An incredibly beautiful book where the writing just carries you away! I can't praise Alice Hoffman's prose enough I just loved it. Her characters are alive on every page and the story of Ivy and Mia in the Community is absolutely engrossing. Sadly once the story goes back in time to 1837 it loses its grip; the writing style changes to suit the style of the time and the plot just isn't as interesting. It recovers towards the end but it means this is not quite the 5-star read which it promised to be at the start.

I didnt even bother reading the blurb for this one, as I do enjoy a Hoffman book.
There's a slight magical feel to them, even when nothing magical happens.
Then to discover its partly set in a cult, I love a cult book.
It was all going so well.
Then it took a turn I wasn't expecting, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
I was so enjoying the story I already had, and this turns it into a courtesy different one.
Enjoyable non the less, just it felt a bit disjointed to me.

I love Alice Hoffmans books and own most of them but I won’t be buying this one. Definitely not my favourite of Alice’s. I hate to criticise her as her writing is magical and beautiful but The Invisible Hour just didn’t do anything for me at all. I felt like I had read these words before in another Alice Hoffman novel, it all felt a bit ‘samey’. Sorry to Ms Hoffman, lots of readers will love it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I’m a huge fan of Alice Hoffman and there’s always a delicious sense of anticipation when there’s a new book on the horizon and with this latest novel she yet again draws me effortlessly in and enchants me.

Ivy Jacobs is an outsider, she’s highly intelligent and an independent thinker, a lover of books but she’s very unhappy. When her rebellious behaviour, as her parents view it, leads to pregnancy, she’s dismissed and abandoned. By a series of chances she finds her way to the West Massachusetts Community, a cult led by Joel Davis, whom Ivy marries a few months later. Sixteen years on, her daughter Mia is stuck, trapped inside this oppressive cult where she’s been punished many times for her perceived transgressions especially her love of books which are banned. The book that saves her life is The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a novel from 1850 that understands her story and literally speaks to her. Let the magic begin.

The harsh cult is very well conveyed with all its austere and repressive rules which contrasts so sharply with the wonderful spirits of mother and daughter and the things they cannot repress. All the characters are deftly portrayed with a few brush strokes you can visualise them with ease. I love both mother and daughter but Mia in particular, I love her independence of spirit and thought with her love of books being a given! Her connection to The Scarlet Letter takes the storytelling in a fascinating direction. I find I can totally buy into the magical elements and delight in how Nathaniel Hawthorne is woven so cleverly and movingly into the story. Via Nathaniel, Mia goes on a journey of discovery, she is able to come to many a realisation, learning some valuable life lessons. I like how we can see the situation for women in the mid nineteenth century and there are some dualities with difficulties faced today.

This is a wonderfully creative novel with some beautiful prose and I guess I expected nothing less from Alice Hoffman! I become utterly caught up in the plot direction especially the theme of the power and magic of books - as book lovers, how can we deny this??!! Books can offer a portal to a fantastical world and many do indeed speak to us as The Scarlet Letter does for Mia. Although there is a cult element and Joel continues to feature, this is a book about love, the unbreakable bond of a mother’s love for a child and of finding love wherever and whenever you can. It’s a beautiful captivating story with a powerful message by a gifted writer. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This book opens with a gripping opening scene that captures my imagination and made me want to keep reading.

This first part of book tells the story of Ivy and how she came for her daughter Mia then it follows how Mia grows up the the cult her mother joint whist running away to have her. This a compelling plot and makes you to read way into the nighT. It contained beautifully imagery, had wonderful symbolism, examined issues we have today about how woman treated and all in all it was truly insightful and made for great reading. The way the writer shows how reading can be magical was beautifully done and any bookworm will connect with the feelings and thoughts Mia has on books.

Then from around 45% book it became a different book it became the time travellers wife meets outlander…lost the plot quite literally. This completely took away all the positives I found in the first part and ruined it for me.

So so disappointed, I expect a little bit fantasy/magic as it’s Alice Hoffman but this was far from a little.

It’s big NOPE for me