Sue's Bookshelf

November 2023

By Sue Littauer

Highly anticipated books by two of my favorite authors were published recently: “The Invisible Hour” by Alice Hoffman and “The Breakaway” by Jennifer Weiner. As different as the books are, surprisingly similar themes resonate throughout both.

The first half of “The Invisible Hour” is beautifully written, has an engrossing and interesting storyline, and offers welldrawn characters. Ivy, a young teenager, becomes a runaway when she finds herself pregnant and lacking parental support. She finds refuge in the Community, a cult-like commune in western Massachusetts. It is run by Joel Davis, a religious zealot who harshly shames and punishes women, forbids contact with the outside world, hangs letters around the necks of sinners, and brands them … hmm … starting to sound familiar?

Ivy reluctantly married Joel when she became part of the Community, but realized her mistake as Joel cruelly controlled her life and that of her daughter, Mia. Prior to leaving home, Ivy was a voracious reader and wanted to instill her love of reading in her daughter. But in the Community, books were considered evil. Ivy violated the rules when she encouraged Mia to visit the local library and sneak in forbidden books. The library becomes Mia’s safe haven and she finds a friend in Sarah, the librarian. When Ivy dies, Mia escapes from the Community, aided and sheltered by Sarah and her partner, Constance, putting them all in grave danger.

As all Alice Hoffman fans know, magical realism is her trademark. And it is through time travel that the present and past are linked in “The Invisible Hour.” When Mia finds a first edition copy of “The Scarlet Letter” hidden on a top shelf in the library, she is shocked to find it was personally inscribed “to Mia” by the author Nathaniel Hawthorne nearly 200 years ago. It is this mysterious inscription that inspires the remainder of the novel.

“The Breakaway” by Jennifer Weiner is a fun and compulsively readable story about finding your own path and believing in your own worth. It is the story of 33-year-old Abby Stern, an avid cyclist who finds herself leading a 12-day bicycle trip from New York to Niagara Falls. She plans to use the time to clear her head about whether to accept a marriage proposal from “the perfect man” — a handsome Jewish doctor she first met at fat camp when she was a teenager. But her trip is complicated by the problems that arise from the disjointed group of riders which, to her surprise, include an old love interest as well as her mother, who had fat-shamed Abby throughout her lifetime. On the surface, these two books don’t seem to have anything in common; however, the strength exhibited by Ivy, Mia, and Abby is to be admired. Each woman learns to believe and trust in herself and to fight for the right of women to have control of their own bodies. And In both books, we see unlikely relationships form which provide confidence and security for our main characters.

If you are looking for a wonderfully delightful read, be sure to try Jennifer Weiner’s “The Breakaway,” but clear your calendar; I read the 400-page book in one day — it’s hard to put down! If you love, love Alice Hoffman’s books, I recommend “The Invisible Hour” and I do think it would make for an interesting book club discussion. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!