The Invisible Hour

From the beloved�New York Times�bestselling author of�the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery and the enduring magic of books. 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. � 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. � With two fiercely wonderful heroines, The Invisible Hour is a heart-breaking and hopeful novel of family, redemption and the power of love. Praise for Alice Hoffman `Beautiful, harrowing, a major contribution to twenty-first century literature'Toni Morrison `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.'Jodi Picoult `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.'Wally Lamb `Alice Hoffman takes seemingly ordinary lives and lets us see and feel extraordinary things.'Amy Tan `Miss Hoffman heals wounds with the gentle touch of an angel'Joseph Heller '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.'Elizabeth Strout