The Ice Queen

by Alice Hoffman

Every time Alice Hoffman comes out with a new novel, I almost drool with excitement because she's never let me down!  Her novels are full of mind-inspiring descriptions and delicate touches of magic that leave you wanting the novel to go on forever.  I first discovered her when I noticed she had written the novel "Practical Magic," which is a movie I dearly adore.  I've since gone on to read all of her novels and this last trip to the library I was able to pick up her latest TWO!  Like most of her novels, magic is referred to in "The Ice Queen" as a sub-plot and it is left up to the reader to decide if the protagonist lives in a world where magic exists or if they are just grasping at straws to explain events in their life.

The main character (who is unnamed) is a woman who has built a shell around herself and becomes a self-declared Ice Queen.  Her relationships are few and always shaky and she believes her life is dull and seemingly pointless.  After a near death experience when she is struck by lightning, she begins to realize her life was anything but pointless.  She meets a fellow lightning strike survivor and piece by piece they put together their shattered lives with surprising consequences.

Similar Novels: Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman and Run by Ann Patchett
Length: 224 pages
Copyright: January 2006

Fortune's Daughter

By Alice Hoffman

Hoffman has a way of writing her novels that makes me feel like I'm reading a fairy tale...even though it's written in the present times and there are no princesses or evil queens. It's amazing how her style of writing includes descriptions that make me catch my breath and reread a passage I've already read twice. She usually does this at the very beginning of a novel to catch your eye and make you continue reading. Fortune's Daughter is no exception. I thought I'd read every Hoffman novel out there, but apparently, this one slipped through. I found it at our local library and what a find!

The main character's of this novel are two ladies who find themselves pulled together by forces outside of their control. Each is dealing with a loss in their own way and stumble across each other in their search for answers. As always, Hoffman weaves in flashbacks and vivid imagery to enhance the novel. Trust me, this is an oldie, but a goldie!!

Similar Novels: Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman and Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Length: 272 Pages

Copyright: 1986

The Third Angel

By Alice Hoffman

As you well know by now, Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. She has been ever since I read two of her books in high school. I waited for this new novel for months and then had to reserve it at the library because it was never in! Hoffman didn't let me down, although she did take a new approach in her writing style with this novel. Hoffman actually divided this novel into three separate stories that are so intermingled, it's hard to tell where one starts and the other begins.

One of the main characters in the novel is a doctor who believes there are three angels that watch over humanity. One is the angel of death and another is the angel of life. Both of these angels he has a chance to view frequently in his career. He explains to his daughter that there is another angel that accompanies us through life. This angel isn't as visible as the other two and could even be disguised as humans among us. This angel could be the beggar on the street corner or the lonely widow living next door. The purpose of this angel is to remind us of the connection in life we all share.

Similar Novels: Second Glance by Jodi Picoult and Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman

Length: 304 pages

Copyright: March 2009

The Probable Future

By Alice Hoffman

Right behind Jodi Picoult, Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. She has written numerous books including Practical Magic, Here on Earth, and Turtle Moon. Each of her novels has a hint of magic included in the pages and this novel is no exception. Hoffman also describes people and places so poetically that you can easily imagine yourself in the novel.

On the thirteenth birthday of each of the Sparrow girls, the awake to find themselves enhanced with a specific magical power. For the grandmother, Elinor, she can detect lies from a mile away, for her daughter, Jenny, she can see into people's dreams. The biggest change comes for granddaughter, Stella, for when she awakens on her thirteenth birthday, she can see the future. Haunted by visions she can't understand and doesn't want, Stella tries hard to make the best of the future, even though she already knows the outcome.

Similar Novels: Second Glance by Jodi Picoult and Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Length: 322 pages

Copyright: 2003