Author: Alice Hoffman
Started: July 3, 2023
Finished: July 4, 2023
Format: Digital
Genre: Magical Realism
Mia Jacob was born to a single mother and raised in a cult. Growing up, Mia was told by her mother that reading was magical and a way to escape. After the sudden death of her mother, Mia knows she must escape the cult where her father is the leader. With the help of the town librarian, she moves to Concord, MA where she begins to live a normal life - the life her mother wanted for her. Throughout her time in Massachusetts, she visits the grave of Nathanial Hawthorne, the author of the Scarlet Letter, the book that saved her life. She soon finds herself in love with the author. On a journey back in time, she meets Hawthorne, and their lives are forever changed.
I have to start off with the fact that I love Alice Hoffman and will continue to read any novel she writes but this was a lot. While I am a fan of love letters to reading and libraries, this took that love to a different level. This novel involved growing up in a cult and time travel; I just felt it was a lot to fit into such a short novel. If you enjoy a story heavy on magical realism, this would be perfect for you.