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Alice Hoffman is the bestselling author of eighteen acclaimed novels, including The Ice Queen, Practical Magic, Here on Earth, The River King, Blue Diary, Illumination Night, Turtle Moon, Seventh Heaven, and At Risk. She lives in Massachusetts.
Photograph © Deborah Feingold
November 2017 Book of the Month As so often happens when a book is filmed as this is, there is far greater detail on the page than on the screen, here perhaps more than most. In its recently written prequel, The Rules of Magic, which follows the lives of the wacky aunts Jet and Fran, we are only introduced to these sisters who dominate this story, Gillian and Sally, towards the end of that book. Here, in this original classic published in 1995, we get their story. Unlike the film (which is wonderful) the troubles Sally has bringing up her teenage daughters as a single mum, is extensively handled. Sadly the aunts are rather in the background and Gillian’s love interest comes in late too. If you have not read this and only seen the film then I urge you to do so but read The Rules of Magic first since you now can. Both books and the film are enchanting, highly recommended. Sarah Broadhurst
As so often happens when a book is filmed as this is, there is far greater detail on the page than on the screen, here perhaps more than most. In its recently written prequel, The Rules of Magic, which follows the lives of the wacky aunts Jet and Fran, we are only introduced to these sisters who dominate this story, Gillian and Sally, towards the end of that book. Here, in this original classic published in 1995, we get their story. Unlike the film (which is wonderful) the troubles Sally has bringing up her teenage daughters as a single mum, is extensively handled. Sadly the aunts are rather in the background and Gillian’s love interest comes in late too. If you have not read this and only seen the film then I urge you to do so but read The Rules of Magic first since you now can. Both books and the film are enchanting, highly recommended. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
Coney Island, 1911: Coralie Sardie is the daughter of a self-proclaimed scientist and professor who acts as the impresario of The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a boardwalk freak show offering amazement and entertainment to the masses. An extraordinary swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid alongside performers like the Wolfman, the Butterfly Girl,and a 100 year old turtle, in her father's museum . She swims regularly in New York's Hudson River, and one night stumbles upon a striking young man alone in the woods photographing moon-lit trees. From that moment, Coralie knows her life will never be the same. The dashing photographer Coralie spies is Eddie Cohen, a Russian immigrant who has run away from his father's Lower East Side Orthodox community. As Eddie photographs the devastation on the streets of New York following the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the mystery behind a young woman's disappearance and the dispute between factory owners and labourers. In the tumultuous times that characterized life in New York between the world wars, Coralie and Eddie's lives come crashing together in Alice Hoffman's mesmerizing, imaginative, and romantic new novel.
From the bestselling author of The Dovekeepers comes a spectacularly imaginative and moving new novel in the vein of The Night Circus that has been acclaimed by Jodi Picoult as 'truly stunning: part love story, part mystery, part history, and all beauty'. New York City, 1911. Meet Coralie Sardie, circus girl, web-fingered mermaid, shy only daughter of Professor Sardie and raised in the bizarre surroundings of his Museum of Extraordinary Things. And meet Eddie Cohen, a handsome young immigrant who has run away from his painful past and his Orthodox family to become a photographer, documenting life on the teeming city streets. One night by the freezing waters of the Hudson River, Coralie stumbles across Eddie, who has become enmeshed in the case of a missing girl, and the fates of these two hopeful outcasts collide as they search for truth, beauty, love and freedom in tumultuous times.
The lives of four sensuous, bold and remarkable women intersect in the year 70 AD, in the desperate days of the siege of Masada, when supplies are dwindling and the Romans are drawing near. All are dovekeepers, and all are keepers of secrets - about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love...
She is one of my favourite authors with a large back catalogue that fluctuates between tales with a magical or fey slant and stories of American life. This is the first one she has set in London. It centres around a corridor in a hotel in Knightsbridge which is reputed to be haunted – but this is not a ghost story, it is a tale of a tormented soul, of love and loss and sadness and it is stunning. Comparison: Sadie Jones, Patricia Schonstein, Joanne Harris.
January 2014 Guest Editor Jodi Picoult on Turtle Moon, because it was my first Alice Hoffman novel. This was the first book I remember reading for pleasure after I got out of college, and I fell in love with Alice Hoffman's writing. This story has a driving plot and memorable characters, but what makes it special to me is what she does with magical realism; Alice takes characters you could have run into at the grocery store, then mixes in bits like ficus bushes bursting into flame and angels who hang out in front of Burger King. When you start adding elements like that, the reader thinks, "You know, in life, anything can happen." That to me, is the whole point of fiction. If her grocery list were published, I’d buy it.
An idyllic family are shattered by a phone call that reveals a terrible crime, committed years before. Alice Hoffman once again has hit gold with a story that will leave you feeling a plethora of emotions as you watch a family fall apart and the effects it has on all those around them. As always Hoffman captures the mood and atmosphere brilliantly, transporting you right in to this small sleepy town and it’s newfound problems. Highly recommended.
In the summer of 1959 Nora Silk moves into a quiet suburb on Long Island with her two, young sons, a collection of Elvis records and a marked absence of husband. Her glamour and cheerfully chaotic ways immediately arouse the suspicions of the neighbourhood where life runs according to two rules - 'mind your own business and keep up your lawn'. Seventh Heaven is a lyrical, optimistic novel of yearning and desire, 'this writer can cut through to the true magic and true grit beneath' (Financial Times).
From the bestselling author of The Dovekeeperscomes a love story about one of history's most captivating 'invisible' women: Rachel, the mother of Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. Growing up on the idyllic island of St Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their tight-knit refugee community of Jews who escaped the European Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for refusing to live by the rules. But Rachel's fate is not in her own hands: in order to secure the future of her father's business, she is married off to a widower with three children. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome nephew Frederic arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes control of her life, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal affecting her entire family, including her favourite son, Camille Pissarro, who will one day become a founder member of the Impressionists and one of history's greatest artists. Set in a world of lush, exquisite beauty, The Marriage of Oppositesshows Alice Hoffman at the height of her considerable powers. The marriage of Rachel and Frederic is an unforgettable story of an extraordinary woman and her forbidden love.
From the bestselling author of The Dovekeeperscomes a love story about one of history's most captivating 'invisible' women: Rachel, the mother of Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. Growing up on the idyllic island of St Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their tight-knit refugee community of Jews who escaped the European Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for refusing to live by the rules. But Rachel's fate is not in her own hands: in order to secure the future of her father's business, she is married off to a widower with three children. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome nephew Frederic arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes control of her life, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal affecting her entire family, including her favourite son, Camille Pissarro, who will one day become a founder member of the Impressionists and one of history's greatest artists. Set in a world of lush, exquisite beauty, The Marriage of Oppositesshows Alice Hoffman at the height of her considerable powers. The marriage of Rachel and Frederic is an unforgettable story of an extraordinary woman and her forbidden love.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Museum of Extraordinary Things: a forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas about the extraordinary woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarrothe Father of Impressionism.Growing up on idyllic St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachels mother, a pillar of their small refugee community of Jews who escaped the Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for being a difficult girl who refuses to live by the rules. Growing up, Rachels salvation is their maid Adelles belief in her strengths, and her deep, life-long friendship with Jestine, Adelles daughter. But Rachels life is not her own. She is married off to a widower with three children to save her fathers business. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome, much younger nephew, Frdrick, arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes her own life story, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal that affects all of her family, including her favorite son, who will become one of the greatest artists of France. Building on the triumphs of The Dovekeepers and The Museum of Extraordinary Things, set in a world of almost unimaginable beauty, The Marriage of Opposites showcases the beloved, bestselling Alice Hoffman at the height of her considerable powers. Once forgotten to history, the marriage of Rachel and Frdrick is a story that is as unforgettable as it is remarkable.
From the bestselling author of The Dovekeeperscomes a love story about one of history's most captivating 'invisible' women: Rachel, the mother of Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro.Growing up on the idyllic island of St Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their tight-knit refugee community of Jews who escaped the European Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for refusing to live by the rules. But Rachel's fate is not in her own hands: in order to secure the future of her father's business, she is married off to a widower with three children. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome nephew Frdric arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes control of her life, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal affecting her entire family, including her favourite son, Camille Pissarro, who will one day become a founder member of the Impressionists and one of history's greatest artists. Set in a world of lush, exquisite beauty, The Marriage of Oppositesshows Alice Hoffman at the height of her considerable powers. The marriage of Rachel and Frdric is an unforgettable story of an extraordinary woman and her forbidden love. Praise for Alice Hoffman's The Dovekeepers: 'Beautiful, harrowing . . . A major contribution to twenty-first-century literature' Toni Morrison 'Hoffman reminds us with every sentence that words have the power to transport us to alternate worlds, to heal a broken heart, and to tie us irrevocably to the people we love' Jodi Picoult'A book as monumental as its subject, magical, moving . . . A genuine masterpiece' Daily Mail
Coney Island, 1911: Coralie Sardie is the daughter of a self-proclaimed scientist and professor who acts as the impresario of The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a boardwalk freak show offering amazement and entertainment to the masses. An extraordinary swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid alongside performers like the Wolfman, the Butterfly Girl,and a 100 year old turtle, in her father's museum . She swims regularly in New York's Hudson River, and one night stumbles upon a striking young man alone in the woods photographing moon-lit trees. From that moment, Coralie knows her life will never be the same. The dashing photographer Coralie spies is Eddie Cohen, a Russian immigrant who has run away from his father's Lower East Side Orthodox community. As Eddie photographs the devastation on the streets of New York following the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the mystery behind a young woman's disappearance and the dispute between factory owners and labourers. In the tumultuous times that characterized life in New York between the world wars, Coralie and Eddie's lives come crashing together in Alice Hoffman's mesmerizing, imaginative, and romantic new novel.
From the bestselling author of The Dovekeeperscomes a spectacularly imaginative and moving new novel in the vein of The Night Circusthat has been acclaimed by Jodi Picoult as 'truly stunning: part love story, part mystery, part history, and all beauy'. New York City, 1911. Meet Coralie Sardie, circus girl, web-fingered mermaid, shy only daughter of Professor Sardie and raised in the bizarre surroundings of his Museum of Extraordinary Things. And meet Eddie Cohen, a handsome young immigrant who has run away from his painful past and his Orthodox family to become a photographer, documenting life on the teeming city streets. One night by the freezing waters of the Hudson River, Coralie stumbles across Eddie, who has become enmeshed in the case of a missing girl, and the fates of these two hopeful outcasts collide as they search for truth, beauty, love and freedom in tumultuous times.
Bestselling author Alice Hoffman's bewitching Nightbird is perfect for ages 10-13:love and friendship empower a lonely girl to embrace her uniqueness and discover her strengths.Twig lives in Sidwell, where people whisper that fairy tales are real. After all, her town is rumored to hide a monster. And two hundred years ago, a witch placed a curse on Twig's family that was meant to last forever. But this summer, everything will change when the red moon rises. It's time to break the spell.PraiseNominated for: The Great Stone Face Award (NH) Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Illinois) The Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Maryland) ';Hoffman reminds us that there are secrets everywhere . . . Nightbird soars.'The New York Times';Alice Hoffman has a gift for melding magic and realism in a way that makes nearly anything seem possible.'Shelf Awareness, Starred';The mix of romance and magic is irresistible.'Kirkus ReviewsWhat Other Authors Are Saying';I love the way Alice Hoffman creates the most ordinary people and then turns their lives magical. . . . [Nightbird] is like reentering a wonderful dream that you vaguely remember.' Lois Lowry, two-time Newbery Medalwinning author of The Giver
From the bestselling author of Practical Magic, comes a beautiful spellbinding tale of magic, friendship and an ancient curse. Twig lives in Sidwell, where people whisper that fairy tales are real. After all, her town is rumoured to hide a monster - and it is these rumours of a winged beast which draw in as much tourism to the town as its famous apple orchards. Two hundred years ago, a witch placed a curse on Twig's family that was meant to last forever. But this summer, following the arrival of a new family in town, Twig may just have found her first true friend and an ally in vanquishing this ancient curse. It's time to try and break the spell... but will everything change when the red moon rises? Be enchanted by this magical and endearing new story from highly acclaimed and widely adored Alice Hoffman, who has yet again created a beautiful novel that will bewitch its readers from the first page until the very last. Praise for Alice Hoffman: 'Alice Hoffman can write about love like no-one else' Jodi Picoult 'I love the way Alice Hoffman creates the most ordinary people and then turns their lives magical. She does it here once again, in Nightbird. The book is like re-entering in a wonderful dream that you vaguely remember.' Lois Lowry 'Hoffman knows how to tell a good story' Sunday Times
Property Of is the book that launched a major literary career. In it, New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman introduces a lonely outsider who wants desperately to belong. She deeply envies the tough, sultry girls who wear mascara and black leather and hang with the local gang known as the Orphans. As the unnamed narrator determinedly tries to become the property of the gang's brooding leader, McKay, she will discover what can and cannot be possessed-and what can happen when you hand your heart over to a man who claims to care nothing about love.
Alice Hoffman, the bestselling author of such beloved novels as Practical Magic and Seventh Heaven, has written a powerful story of love that shows why she has been called a "e;born storyteller"e; (Entertainment Weekly).When Teresa was a little girl, she dreamed of dark-eyed, fearless heroes on white horses who would sweep her away. But now, as the grown-up Teresa negotiates life and love, she begins to understand that fairy tales don't always come true.
The matriarch of a Long Island clan with a stubbornly suicidal son and a defiant, restless granddaughter, Esther has hired a Russian landscaper to watch over the family as well as the grounds of their secluded waterfront estate. But he has been watching Esther, too. And his love for her is growing wild enough to uproot them all.The author of Here on Earth and The River King presents a "e;stunning and hypnotic"e; novel that "e;interweaves past and present with piercing images and unfailing energy"e; (Publishers Weekly).
Nora Silk doesn't really fit in on Hemlock Street, where every house looks the same. She's divorced. She wears a charm bracelet and high heels and red toreador pants. And the way she raises her kids is a scandal. But as time passes, the neighbors start having second thoughts about Nora. The women's apprehension evolves into admiration. The men's lust evolves into awe. The children are drawn to her in ways they can't explain. And everyone on this little street in 1959 Long Island seems to sense the possibilities and perils of a different kind of future when they look at Nora Silk.This extraordinary novel by the author of The River King and Local Girls takes us back to a time when the exotic both terrified and intrigued us, and despite our most desperate attempts, our passions and secrets remained as stubbornly alive as the weeds in our well-trimmed lawns.
The bestselling author of Practical Magic offers "e;an affecting love story, laced with humor"e; (Booklist) that tells the tale of a man and a woman, an activist and a therapist, so consumed with helping others that they are in danger of failing in their duty to themselves.Natalie, a therapist, is in love with Carter-but he is deeply dedicated to his environmental work, and the fate of their relationship takes a backseat to the fate of the planet. Then a new client walks into Natalie's office. He is an intriguing man, with an incredible tale to tell, and under his influence she faces questions about the direction of her own passion, the true meaning of commitment ... and the possibility of finding the love she seeks-right in her own backyard.
Beginning on the night of the Grand Illumination, a festival of lanterns held each summer on Martha's Vineyard, this novel is a modern chronicle of a marriage and a bittersweet exploration of an extraordinary passion. Illumination Night follows the lives of a young blond giant who is as beautiful as he is frightening; an old woman at the end of her life whose last mission is to save her granddaughter's soul; a family torn apart by a wife's fears and a husband's unrealized desires; and the high school girl who comes to Martha's Vineyard against her will, who steals husbands and cars, and who will bring everyone together in a web of yearning, sin, and ultimate redemption. Both riveting and reflective, this is a story that brings to light the talent that has made Alice Hoffman an acclaimed bestselling author.
This fierce and beautiful story charts the histories of two women: Rae, young, unmarried, and far from home, awaits the birth of her first child. Lila, a fortune-teller with no interest in the future, lost her own daughter more than a quarter of a century earlier in New York. When these two women meet in Southern California, it's earthquake weather-the time when unexpected things happen. Immediately, their lives and fortunes become intertwined, as Rae tries to break away from the man she has been with since high school and Lila reaches into the past to search for the child she lost.This contemporary world is set against a series of Russian folktales told by an old woman who lives at the edge of Manhattan, in a place so well hidden it can only be found once in a lifetime.
With "e;incantatory prose"e; that "e;sweeps over the reader like a dream"e; (Philadelphia Inquirer), Hoffman follows her celebrated bestseller The Probable Future with an evocative work that traces the lives of the various occupants of an old Massachusetts house over a span of two hundred years.In a rare and gorgeous departure, beloved novelist Alice Hoffman weaves a web of tales, all set in Blackbird House. This small farm on the outer reaches of Cape Cod is a place that is as bewitching and alive as the characters we meet: Violet, a brilliant girl who is in love with books and with a man destined to betray her; Lysander Wynn, attacked by a halibut as big as a horse, certain that his life is ruined until a boarder wearing red boots arrives to change everything; Maya Cooper, who does not understand the true meaning of the love between her mother and father until it is nearly too late. From the time of the British occupation of Massachusetts to our own modern world, family after family's lives are inexorably changed, not only by the people they love but by the lives they lead inside Blackbird House.These interconnected narratives are as intelligent as they are haunting, as luminous as they are unusual. Inside Blackbird House more than a dozen men and women learn how love transforms us and how it is the one lasting element in our lives. The past both dissipates and remains contained inside the rooms of Blackbird House, where there are terrible secrets, inspired beauty, and, above all else, a spirit of coming home.From the writer that Time has said tells "e;truths powerful enough to break a reader's heart"e; comes a glorious travelogue through time and fate, through loss and love and survival. Welcome to Blackbird House.
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