The Invisible Hour

Hoffman (the Practical Magic series) keeps up her flair for the fantastical with this enchanting tale of a woman and her daughter living in an oppressive modern-day commune, where they find comfort in books. Ivy Jacob’s ever-disappointed mother and stern father react badly to news of her teen pregnancy, prompting her to run away from her tony Boston home for Western Massachusetts, where she’s embraced by a group called The Community. There, she gives birth to her daughter, Mia, and marries the group’s charismatic but controlling leader, Joel, when Mia is three months old. The Community’s rules are draconian—members are branded with letters corresponding to their alleged crimes—and eventually the abuse weighs on Ivy’s conscience. At 16, Mia secretly takes out books from a nearby library (education and reading are forbidden after members turn 15), and she tries to convince her mother to join her in an escape. Alternate chapters portray Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing life in the mid-19th century, and a series of time-traveling twists illuminate Hawthorne’s inspiration for The Scarlet Letter, Mia’s favorite book. Though the evil Joel is a bit one-dimensional, the portrayal of Hawthorne is credible and the conceit feels truly magical. For the most part, Hoffman manages not to break the spell. Agent: Amanda Urban: ICM Partners. (Aug.)