The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
I ❤️ Alice Hoffman novels. As soon as her latest book is released, I buy it. No ifs, ands, or butts.
The Invisible Hour contains the elements of magical realism and women on a journey of self-discovery, love and independence that her novels are well-known for. What is different about this story? She includes the element of time travel.
A young girl, Mia, is born into a cult community where books outside of the ones found in the cult are banned. With her mother’s support, she secretly frequents the library in town and discovers Nathaniel Hawthorne and his novel The Scarlet Letter. A tragedy within the cult occurs which is a tipping point, forcing her to runaway. She gets help from the librarian of that library who takes her to live with her partner who lives in another state. As the years go by, Mia’s interest in Nathaniel Hawthorne endures as well as the cult leader’s obsession with getting her to return to the cult. When another tragedy occurs, Mia’s heart’s desire comes true: she is transported back in time and meets the Hawthorne.
The Invisible Hour combines two well known tropes: time travel and a ‘star-crossed lovers’ storyline. Sign me up. The roles of the library and the books spoke to my literary loving heart. Including Nathaniel Hawthorne as a character was an engaging way to present his biography. It deepened my understanding of the weight of the legacy he carried, how it shaped his personality and appeared in his writings.
However, I found the storyline involving Nathaniel Hawthrone too fantastical. For me, the magical realism didn’t mesh with this well. The story felt like it was two different stories. Part 1 was Mia’s life before she time traveled and Part 2 was life when she time traveled. I don’t want to say too much more about what occurs when she does this. I will say I liked how Mia’s story intersects with The Scarlet Letter and I will say I did not care for two of the outcomes of the time travel.
Did this book grab me? Yes. Did I walk away thinking about Mia and her journey? Yes. Did I like learning about Nathaniel Hawthorne’s history? Yes.
Will I continue to read Alice Hoffman novels? YES!