Well done Alice Hoffman! A loyal fan I remain. Sadly, it all echoes many of the same problems with which we struggle today. Vividly brought to life are the workers' struggles of the 1900's, and mistreatment and arbitrary abuse to women, minorities and immigrants. Her ventures into historical fiction, totally impress me, and this is her very best effort in this genre. Hoffman is an excellent and thorough researcher, and blends the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and Dreamland fires of 1911 seamlessly into her always mesmerizing plots and characters. The Museum of Extraordinary Things, once you dive in, holds you as a willing captive, swimming effortlessly through the story, in which you learn, in the most intimate way, about two, otherwise obscure, events in NYC history, through the eyes of the victims and their families. Hoffman's world is a dreamy, swim through enchanting, eerie and magical adventures with female and male underdogs conquering all obstacles in life and love. With bated breath we'd wait for each new Alice Hoffman book, each one a gem. The woman who turned me on to Hoffman's novels owned a funky eclectic bookstore where I'd have coffee and book chat whenever I could. The Museum of Extraordinary Things is Hoffman at her most spellbinding.Ĭaptivating historical fiction+Hoffman interview!Īlice Hoffman was my first author crush. New York itself becomes a riveting character as Hoffman weaves her magic, romance, and masterful storytelling to unite Coralie and Eddie in a sizzling, tender, and moving story of young love in tumultuous times. When Eddie captures with his camera the devastation on the streets of New York following the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he becomes embroiled in the mystery behind a young woman's disappearance.

The dashing photographer is Eddie Cohen, a Russian immigrant who has run away from his father's Lower East Side Orthodox community and his job as an apprentice tailor. One night Coralie stumbles upon a striking young man photographing moonlit trees in the woods off the Hudson River. An exceptional swimmer, Coralie appears as the Mermaid in her father's 'museum', alongside performers like the Wolfman, the Butterfly Girl, and a 100-year-old turtle. From the beloved, best-selling author of The Dovekeepers, a mesmerizing new novel about the electric and impassioned love between two vastly different souls in New York during the volatile first decades of the 20th century.Ĭoney Island: Coralie Sardie is the daughter of the impresario behind The Museum of Extraordinary Things, a boardwalk freak show that amazes and stimulates the crowds.

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman