Reviews
Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors; I adore her magical realism. Despite that, this one just did not hit hard for me. I enjoyed the first half, but didn’t like the second half at all.
I have a list of favorite authors, I’ve been reading them for years and I pre-order their new releases without fail. I wait with anticipation, especially if their new releases aren’t coming in a timely manner (I’m talking to you George R. R. Martin). Sometimes, the realization that there’s an addition to the favorite author list can hit you like a tornado. I had never considered myself an Alice Hoffman fan until I finished this book. I then did a minor reflection on how I felt and it occurred to me that I have enjoyed every Alice Hoffman book I have ever read. So, there you have it: this book put Hoffman on my favorite author list.
Those of us who devour fiction ceaselessly have, at least once, imagined what it might be like to fall into the pages of a book, meet the characters you’ve decided you know intimately, and find the partner of your dreams based entirely on the words somebody else threw together (that was flippant, I understand the words aren’t thrown together, they’re placed carefully, even lovingly on every page. Nothing but respect for those who write fiction, it’s difficult). While I personally haven’t found my literary soulmate, I know plenty of avid readers who have (and for some reason, it’s always Mr. Darcy), and reading a book about a woman who has the chance to meet and fall in love with her literary crush brought me joy. To be fair, I do understand that Nathanial Hawthorne was the author, not the character, but that’s just semantics.
There was some other stuff in this book, and it’s pretty good stuff, but it does become overwhelmed by a time bending romance with an historical author. It’s a fun read.
Ivy wants the choice to keep her child, so she leaves home and ends up in the Community, a commune in Massachusetts, and has her child, Mia. Ivy realizes that, rather than freedom, she's found a deeper form of bondage. But one day, her daughter Mia will discover the power of stories, choose to live, and leave the Community to find her own life.
Sounds great, right? It was...until the midway point when the novel turned into a time travel story in such a weird way. It was very jarring.
The writing was beautiful, and the atmosphere rich, but the story itself wasn't my favorite by Hoffman.
