Blue Diary: Summary and book reviews of Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman, plus links to an excerpt from Blue Diary and a biography of Alice Hoffman.

The courage to face the unthinkable is at the core of this magnificent new novel. How do we manage to confront the truths in our lives and find forgiveness in the most unforgiving of circumstances? How do we love truly and deeply in a world that is as brutal as it is beautiful? When Ethan Ford fails to show up for work on a brilliant summer morning, none of his neighbors would guess that for more than thirteen years, he has been running from his past. His true nature has been locked away, as hidden as his real identity. But sometimes locks spring open, and the devastating truths of Ethan Ford's history shatter the small-town peace of Monroe, affecting family and friends alike. This deeply felt and compelling novel makes it clear why Alice Hoffman has been called "one of the best writers we have today" (Cleveland Plain Dealer). Honest, shattering, seductive, and ultimately healing, Blue Diary is an unforgettable novel by a writer who tells "truths powerful enough to break a reader's heart" (Time magazine).

Media Reviews

Newsday - Susan Isaacs With her glorious prose and extraordinary eye, Alice Hoffman seems to know what it means to be human.   Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Throughout, her observations of the natural world are conveyed with gorgeous clarity and the supporting characters are roundly drawn.   Booklist - Donna Seaman This canny tale of abrupt reversals and courageous, unpopular choices is as suspenseful as it is lyrical and provocative.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Anonymous
A beautiful and intelligent book about love and loss

Rated of 5 by Darragh
This was the first book by Alice Hoffman that I have read and I've mixed reactions to it. In essence, it's worth sticking with the book and reading it for the character development despite the stylistic excesses. Hoffman has a bad case of...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Gingeena
I thought this book was superb, I loves how the natural world was drawn into this book and how nature was used to described people and feelings.

Rated of 5 by Heather Metzler
I enjoy anything unpredictable and out of the ordinary and Hoffman delivers this in The Blue Diary. I love the multiple points of view that she reveals chapter by chapter. This allowed me to focus my questions and inferences on the plot rather than...   Read More

Rated of 5 by fitzy
I loved this boo- One of my all-time favorites!

Review (not rated) by annarte
I only read the beginning of the first chapter.I was immediately repelled by the banality of the prose, one hackneyed image after another.Even if the story is good I can't bring myself to read it.Sorry.

...3 More Reader Reviews

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