Blue Diary

Hoffman's fictional world centres on the rhythms of everyday life in smalltown America. In Blue Diary the story focuses on the repercussions that hit the town of Monroe, Massachusetts, when one of its inhabitants, Ethan Ford, is charged with the brutal murder of a young girl 15 years earlier. What shocks the small town most of all is that Ford was a model father, husband and citizen, admired by all. While the discovery shatters the lives of the Ford family, it also makes the other townspeople question the basis of their own lives. If Ford is not the man he appeared to be, then who can you trust? Along with the main storyline, Hoffman skilfully chronicles events in the lives of other townspeople: the break up of a marriage, the diagnosis of a terminal illness, the loss of a father. Her observation of the emotional lives of her characters is acute and moving, but always avoids the sentimental; her lyrical powers of description effortlessly evoke smells, colours and feelings. She tells her story through the different voices of her characters and the resulting narrative is always absorbing and convincing. On the surface Blue Diary appears to be a simple story about ordinary people but its effect remains imprinted on the reader's mind long after the book is put down. Highly recommended. Alice Hoffman is also the author of Here on Earth, Practical Magic and Local Girls. (Kirkus UK)