Angel Landing

by Alice Hoffman

Overview

The New York Times bestselling author of The Rules of Magic offers “an affecting love story, laced with humor”(Booklist) that tells the tale of a man and a woman so consumed with helping others that they are in danger of failing in their duty to themselves.

Natalie, a therapist, is in love with Carter—but he is deeply dedicated to his environmental work, and the fate of their relationship takes a backseat to the fate of the planet. Then a new client walks into Natalie's office. He is an intriguing man, with an incredible tale to tell—and under his influence, she faces questions about the direction of her own passion, the true meaning of commitment...and the possibility of finding the love she seeks right in her own backyard.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780425166840
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/01/1999
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	719,469
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.84(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

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.

Hometown:

Boston, Massachusetts

Date of Birth:

March 16, 1952

Place of Birth:

New York, New York

Education:

B.A., Adelphi University, 1973; M.A., Stanford University, 1974

Website:

http://www.alicehoffman.com

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Angel Landing

“A memorable novel.”—The New York Times

“Another unusual, impressive Hoffman novel...a deceptively simple, touching romance.”—Kirkus Reivews

“A satisfying book, one that is hard to lay aside.”—Pittsburg Press

“A good, old-fashioned love story...Alice Hoffman's writing at its precise and heartbreaking best.”—The Washington Post

From the Publisher

Alice Hoffman has one strong point as a novelist: She is very good at describing emotional pain. Since Michael Finn has lived with emotional pain all his life she has, in this novel, plenty to describe. She is not without humor - Aunt Minnie is a character with genuine sparkle - but she is better at pain, and her account of Michael's humiliations and frustrations makes the book memorable. -- The New York Times

Larry McMurtry

A good, old-fashioned love story...Alice Hoffman's writing at its precise and heartbreaking best.

Washington Post

Hoffman's 1980 novel about love, politics, and therapy doesn't hold up well 20 years later. The politics of the impact of a nuclear power plant explosion, even if it is not yet operational, was probably, justifiably or not, a scarier and more conscious threat when she wrote Angel Landing. The story's romantic triangle of activist Carter Sugarland, bomber Michael Finn, and therapist Natalie is never fully realized. Carter is more dedicated to the cause than to love, and Natalie is a terrible therapist even without her questionable and predictable relationship with Finn; perhaps Hoffman's true political scrutiny is aimed at the ethics of therapy as all the therapists in the book are morally askew. The love story also suffers as the true thrust of the book focuses on the sadly stereotypical dysfunctionality of generations of Finns, whose individual plights deserve better therapy than they get. The strongest, most intriguing character is Aunt Minnie, an eccentric who charges into every situation with a golden-hearted agenda and the memories of a poetic love, providing the only humor and irony. A better book would have been her story instead. Bonnie Hurren's accents are unevenly sustained. Not recommended.--Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Library Journal

This is an unforgettable tale about the true meaning of commitment, from "one of our quirkiest and most interesting novelists." -- USA Today

Jane Smiley

A good, old-fashioned love story...Alice Hoffman's writing at its precise and heartbreaking best.

The Washington Post

A satisfying book, one that is hard to lay aside.

Pittsburgh Press