The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman REVIEW

Summary:

One June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. The Scarlet Letter was written almost two hundred years earlier, but it seems to tell the story of Mia's mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community - an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden. But how could Nathaniel Hawthorne have captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her?

As a girl, Mia fell in love with a book. Now a young woman, she falls in love with a brilliant writer as she makes her way back in time. But what if Nathaniel Hawthorne never wrote The Scarlet Letter? And what if Mia Jacob never found it on the day she planned to die?

My Thoughts:

This was a really interesting read. Ivy Jacob ran away from home after her parents planned to send her away when they find out that she's pregnant. The father of her child wants nothing to do with them, and Ivy wants to keep her baby. She ends up joining the Community, and marries the leader. But life with them isn't as great as it seemed. Books and art are forbidden there. When Mia joins her working a stand at the farmer's market, she is drawn to the library there. Now every time she is there, she sneaks over to the library to read, and smuggles books back home with her. When Ivy dies in a tragic accident, Mia decides to finally escape the Community that's been holding her back. With the help of Sarah, the librarian, she is able to transition into a regular life. One day, when Mia is visiting Nathaniel Hawthorne's grave, she finds herself transported back in time and meets him, and they fall in love. But this may change the course of history, and his books may never be written . . .

I was drawn in to the stories of Ivy and Mia. They are so much alike, and both are strong women. The writing was beautiful, and I found myself invested in their stories. However, the romance between Mia and Nathaniel seemed very out of place. The first half of the book is very much grounded in reality, and then all of a sudden, there is time travel, with no warnings or hints. This could have been fine, but their relationship was so underdeveloped that it just ruined the second half of the book for me. There's no chemistry between them, and it all felt so rushed. I think I would have rated this higher if the second half was more like the first half.

My Rating: 3 stars