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Illumination Night
Newsday says, "Both riveting and reflective, this is a story of parenthood and friendship, self-protection and generosity, dream and disillusionment” that brings to light the talent that has made Alice Hoffman an acclaimed bestselling author."
About the Book
Publisher’s description:
An exquisitely crafted ensemble piece about marriage, identity, and desire set on the island of Martha’s Vineyard
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.
Over the course of one fateful year, these characters, as vividly drawn and expertly choreographed as any in contemporary fiction, will come together and drift apart as they experience breakthroughs, true love, and epiphanies. Alice Hoffman finds mystery and magic in our everyday world, and Illumination Night showcases her signature talent for endowing real life with the power of myth. It is one of her finest novels, radiant and emotional with a cast of characters you will never forget.
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.
Over the course of one fateful year, these characters, as vividly drawn and expertly choreographed as any in contemporary fiction, will come together and drift apart as they experience breakthroughs, true love, and epiphanies. Alice Hoffman finds mystery and magic in our everyday world, and Illumination Night showcases her signature talent for endowing real life with the power of myth. It is one of her finest novels, radiant and emotional with a cast of characters you will never forget.
