Blue Diary - by Alice Hoffman (Paperback)

About the Book

For more than 13 years, devoted father and husband Ethan Ford has been running from his past. But one day the police show up at his door--and his life as an irreproachable family man and heroic volunteer fireman begins to come apart.

Book Synopsis

Alice Hoffman, the bestselling author of The Rules of Magic, asks how we can find the courage to face the unthinkable in this compelling New York Times Notable Book.

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.

Now, the police are at the door. Ethan Ford's life as an irreproachable family man and heroic volunteer fireman has come to an end--and Jorie Ford's life is coming apart. Some of the residents of Monroe are rallying behind Ethan. But others, including his wife and son, and wondering what remains true when so much is shown to be false--and how capable we really are of change.

Review Quotes

Praise for Blue Diary

"Hoffman ably sends her theme of loss and deception reverberating across several well-made subplots...fast-moving."--The New York Times Book Review

"[Hoffman's] observations of the natural world are conveyed with gorgeous clarity and the supporting characters are roundly drawn...[Blue Diary] investigates the themes of devotion, betrayal, guilt, and forgiveness in trenchantly effective ways."--Publishers Weekly

"A page-turner...hard to put down...even harder to forget."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"As suspenseful as it is lyrical and provocative."--Booklist

About the Author

Alice Hoffman is the bestselling author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The Invisible Hour, The World That We Knew, Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic (A Reese's Book Club pick), Magic Lessons, The Book of Magic, Here on Earth (An Oprah's Book Club pick), and The Dovekeepers. She lives near Boston.