When I read that this book featured a heroine who loved books, had a time-travel element, and included lots of Nathanial Hawthorne, I knew it was right up my alley. And it didn’t disappoint!

Ivy Jacobs runs away from her Boston home after her parents get angry about her teen pregnancy. She ends up in a commune-type place called The Community in western MA. Here she has her baby, named Mia, and ends up marrying the leader of the group, a controlling man named Joel. As Mia ages, she upsets the strict rules of the commune by reading books and challenging Joel’s power. When members of the group flout their laws, they get branded with the letter of their supposed crime. Eventually, Mia runs away from the group and begins living her life on her own terms.

I loved the time-travel aspect of this one. I was enchanted by the way Hoffman tied together Mia’s life with the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne and his novel The Scarlett Letter. I also enjoyed this novel even more after reading Hoffman’s personal note at the front of the book. You could tell she was passionate about her time with her mother and wanted to honor it with this book. My one critique is that the ending seemed to be wrapped up too quickly—especially after the strong narrative leading up to it. Still, overall this is a lovely book about the connection between mothers and daughters, a woman living her life on her own terms, and the power of reading and words.