Published by Atria Books Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism
Format: ARC, eBook
“Books may well be the only true magic.” – Alice Hoffman
Another enchanting book by Alice Hoffman! What an absolute pleasure this book was! I was instantly drawn into this gripping tale about love, family, finding your family, sacrifice, survival, strength, the love of reading, the power of books and the plight of women.
Ivy left her home after receiving poor reactions from both her family and her unborn baby’s father. She runs away looking for a better life, what she finds is a “community” with a charismatic leader who turns out to be a wolf in disguise. The community she has joined is a cult in western Massachusetts where books are not allowed, and babies are taken from their mother’s and raised in the Nursery. Ivy is crafty and finds time to bond with her daughter Mia. Mia has inherited her mother’s love of reading and finds ways to obtain books – one which will save her and change her life in so many ways….
Hoffman also shows what life was like for women in the past, the choices they had to make, the expectations that were placed upon them and how they were living in a man’s world. She also shows the power of books and the written word. Books transport readers, comfort, provide food for thought, educate, evoke emotions and so much more.
I have always enjoyed Hoffman’s writing and in this book, she is at the top of her game as Mia goes back in time to meet the author whose book saved her life! As always, her writing was beautiful and vividly descriptive. She weaves a little bit of her own magic into this book, and I had no problem taking that leap into the past.
Beautifully written, gripping, and hard to put down!
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.