MAGIC HOUR by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is a marvelous writer who crafts novels that concern the human spirit and how it succeeds. Her latest book MAGIC HOUR is another story that follows that theme. In this book two sisters (another constant in Hannah's novels) work together to save a child. The actions they take as well as the description of their relationship make this one of Hannah's best.
Dr. Julia Cates and Ellie Barton are sisters. They both grew up in the small town of River Valley, Washington. Julia pursued a career as a child psychiatrist while Ellie breezed through life one marriage at a time. After the second one failed she became a police officer and eventually police chief. Julia gained some renown in her field but a case that went bad has caused her to doubt her abilities.
One day Ellie discovers a child hiding in a tree in her town. She appears to be a feral child who has been living in the woods around the small town. The child doesn't speak and may be retarded. At a loss as to how to handle the situation Ellie sends out an SOS to Julia. Since she is at loose ends with her practice Julia agrees to return home and take up treatment of the child.
The rest of the book concerns Ellie's attempts to find the parents of the child, and Julia's attempts to make contact with her. She names her Alice and begins a tedious process of providing security and stimuli to make communication with Alice possible.
Hannah writes this story with great compassion, and perception into such a situation. The characters are believable, as are their relationships with each other. You fully feel their hurts and their joys and you are involved in the story from start to finish.
The author is at her best as she tells of the struggles of Alice. The reader's heart goes out to this little girl lost, and you hope for a happy ending even when that seems to be an impossibility.
MAGIC HOUR is an engrossing novel that will capture your imagination and stimulate your brain. It will also touch your heart. Just about everyone is compassionate when it comes to children in peril. In this book a little girl is locked inside her mind because of her past history. A sisterly combination of medical knowledge and street smarts works to find a key to her salvation.
Be prepared to be totally absorbed by this story. Once you begin its pages you will be mesmerized until the finish. Kristin Hannah is a gifted writer and MAGUIC HOUR is one of her best novels ever.
MAGIC HOUR is published by Random House. It contains 416 pages and sells for $23.95.