Publisher: Atria Books,  August 15, 2023

Format: ebook

Pages: 272

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (Goodreads):

The latest New York Times bestseller from beloved author Alice Hoffman celebrates the enduring magic of books and is a “wonderful story of love and growth” (Stephen King).

One June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. The Scarlet Letter was written almost two hundred years earlier, but it seems to tell the story of Mia’s mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community—an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden. But how could this be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her?

Through a journey of heartbreak, love, and time, Mia must abandon the rules she was raised with at the Community. As she does, she realizes that reading can transport you to other worlds or bring them to you, and that readers and writers affect one another in mysterious ways. She learns that time is more fluid than she can imagine, and that love is stronger than any chains that bind you.

As a girl Mia fell in love with a book. Now as a young woman she falls in love with a brilliant writer as she makes her way back in time. But what if Nathaniel Hawthorne never wrote The Scarlet Letter ? And what if Mia Jacob never found it on the day she planned to die?

From “the reigning queen of magical realism” (Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author), this is the story of one woman’s dream. For a little while it came true.

My Review:

Read if you like: time travel, cults
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When Ivy found out she was pregnant, she joins a cult-like community. As her daughter, Mia, grows up in this oppressive environment where women are controlled and punished, she finds The Scarlet Letter and falls in love with the book and author. Through the book, she finds the courage to find her freedom.
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Overall, the story was good. The magical realism aspect was exciting and Mia was a strong character. I feel like the story of what inspired the Scarlet Letter has been written, but this story was quite different. Like I said, it’s still a good story!
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Thank you Atria Books for the copy of this book.