Publisher's Synopsis
<b>From the beloved <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author of the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery and the enduring magic of books.</b><br><br> Sixteen-year-old Ivy is pregnant and alone. Cast out by her family, she runs away and finds safety in the arms of Joel Davis. He offers a simpler life than the one she had in Boston, a quiet, rural life of rules, peace and community. Little does she realise, Joel is the charismatic leader of a cult known as the Community, and all is not quite as it seems.<br> <br> Daughter Mia has only known the claustrophobic life of the Community. While out serving the Community one weekend, she secretly commits a transgression – reading. Discovering a world beyond the edges of the Community’s property is intoxicating. But breaking rules carries serious consequences, and sends Mia on a path she could never have imagined.<br> <br> With two fiercely wonderful heroines, <i>The Invisible Hour</i> is a heart-breaking and hopeful novel of family, redemption and the power of love.<br><br><b>Praise for Alice Hoffman</b><br><br> ‘Beautiful, harrowing, a major contribution to twenty-first century literature’<br><b>Toni Morrison</b><br><br> ‘I am still reeling from The Dovekeepers – from the history Alice Hoffman illuminates, from the language she uses to bring these women to life. This novel is a testament to the human spirit and to love rising from the ashes of war. But most of all, this novel is one that will never be forgotten by a reader.’<br><b>Jodi Picoult</b><br><br> ‘In her remarkable new novel, Alice Hoffman holds a mirror to our ancient past as she explores the contemporary themes of sexual desire, women’s solidarity in the face of strife, and the magic that’s quietly present in our day-to-day living. Put The Dovekeepers at the pinnacle of Hoffman’s extraordinary body of work. I was blown away.’<br><b>Wally Lamb</b><br><br> ‘Alice Hoffman takes seemingly ordinary lives and lets us see and feel extraordinary things.’<br><b>Amy Tan</b><br><br> ‘Miss Hoffman heals wounds with the gentle touch of an angel’<br><b>Joseph Heller</b><br><br> 'Oh, what a book this is! Hoffman’s exploration of the world of good and evil, and the constant contest between them, is unflinching; and the humanity she brings to us – it is a glorious experience.'<br><b>Elizabeth Strout</b>
