Angel Landing

by Alice Hoffman

The bestselling author of "Practical Magic" offers "an affecting love story, laced with humor" ("Booklist") that tells the tale of a man and a woman, an activist and a therapist, 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.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Drama, Modern, Literary Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew; The Marriage of Opposites; The Red Garden; The Museum of Extraordinary Things; The Dovekeepers; Here on Earth, an Oprah’s Book Club selection; and the Practical Magic series, including Practical
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.

Reviews

[Hannah Ciceu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alice Hoffman has long been one of my favorite authors. I love her storytelling ability. She creates magical stories that blend tragedy and hope. However, I did not enjoy this novel. I had to force myself to finish it, hoping the whole time, that it would get better. This story lacked the magical elements that I come to expect from her novels. I found both main characters and the plot boring.

[Joseph Sciuto · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Angel Landing," By Alice Hoffman is the first book I have read by this magnificent writer that I did not like, and I have read at least ten previous books by her. I did not hate it, and at times it really seemed promising but in the end it just wasn't the home run her other books were for me. The supporting characters were great and the descriptions of Long Island were wonderful and occasionally the dialogue was great, but the love story between Natalie, an attractive therapist and Michael, a recluse whose conversations at times consist of a few words and prefers to be alone was torturous for this reader and hard to believe. Maybe if I looked at their relationship through the theory of psychoanalysis I might be able able to see the attraction, but at the moment I just don't have the time for that.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually really enjoy Alice Hoffman. And this book was enjoyable IF you could lay aside the fact that the main character is a terrible therapist and everyone keeps encouraging everyone else to lie all the time. Life fail.

[Peggy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was pretty convinced that when it comes to literature I'm pretty easily pleased. I'm happy to be wrong. This book is SOOO mediocre. It's the story of an unhappy social worker in an unhappy relationship with a zealous environmentalist when an unhappy client confesses to her that he bombed the local power plant. Well, not "bombed" rather "incorrectly installed a valve leading to an explosion." She falls in love with him even though he tells her his deepest darkest secrets about his horrific past and after he tells her that he just wants to sleep with her for one night--nothing else after that, blah blah blah. I would hate for an impressionable girl to read this book lest she think that its okay to settle for a mediocre relationship because she'd be lonely otherwise and to allow herself to remain attached to someone with a REALLY scary past. I finished this book, mostly to see if he'd be convicted in his trial and out of MILD curiosity to see if they'd end up together. It isn't until the last like 3 paragraphs of the book that they end up together and happy (or whatever) which I thought was really stupid. Okay, I gave this book 2 stars and after writing this review, I'm changing it to 1. Stupid book.

[Cindy Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to write a review to rebut some of the terrible reviews I've read. In all honesty, I would give it 3.5 stars (if I could do that here). To me, 3.5 is a solid, okay read. Not outstanding, but not terrible. I've read some people say this just doesn't live up to their expectation of Alice Hoffman. In the first 50 pages it seemed "off" to me, too. Then I realized (after reading reviews) that this was written in 1980, and represents an early work when Alice was about 27 years old, or the same age as the protagonist, Natalie. I had a total shift in attitude toward the book. I cared about the characters and I identified a little with Natalie's youthful, poor decision making (when I was young). I appreciated how it wasn't automatically tied up all neatly with a bow, although it pretty much has a "tied up with a bow" ending. I'm glad I read it. Not my favorite Alice book, but still good!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. Kind of sad but redemptive. The story of the effects of psychological and physical abuse on a person's psyche and their ability to cope with life. This story was unique in that we see these effects on a male character as opposed to the usual portrait of a female abuse victim. Michael Finn has grown up being subjected to the physical and mental abuse of an alcoholic father who also suffered the same. They live in a town that houses a controversial nuclear power plant. Both Michael and his father Danny have worked at this plant. Michael causes an explosion at the plant that causes the plant to be shutdown. The incident becomes a political and controversial statement for the local activists although Michael has no political nor environmental interests. He confesses his guilt to Nathalie, the local agency social worker who happens to be dating the lead activist for Soft Skies. The book is no so much about the political statement about the dangers of nuclear power plants but rather the character development. To understand Michael Finn's past is to understand what brings him to this point in his life. In that respect, Hoffman does a great job in giving the reader the back story in small but relevant doses throughout the book. Good, quick read. Will definitely be reading more Alice Hoffman.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. I have read probably two dozen of her novels. But this one was not my favorite. I don't often give up on a book, but I just couldn't get into it. I really didn't like the main character. She is weak and kind of pathetic. I know protagonists are meant to learn and change and grow but this one had no redeeming qualities. I think I was kind of repulsed by how bad of a therapist she was.
What I did like about the book was Aunt Minnie. She felt more like the Alice Hoffman characters who I love. Fierce and wise and complex.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enjoying my foray into the earlier works of Alice Hoffman- one of the greatest skills she has as a writer is character development. Minnie is one of the most vibrant characters I've read in a while- I really loved her character. The love story in this novel was tender, wonderfully written.

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors. I've read many of her books. I just couldn't connect with this one. The characters and their relationships weren't compelling or believable for me. I grew up on Long Island, with the threat of the Shoreham nuclear plant always top of mind. However, that setting just didn't compensate for my lack of connection to the characters.

[Bonnye Reed]

The third volume, Kindle edition, Alice Hoffman The Collected Novels Volume Two.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

An older Alice Hoffman, don't recall reading before. Liked the Long Island setting. 4/B

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natalie is a therapist, Carter is her boyfriend though he is quite wrapped up in his environmental causes. One day during the construction of the local power plant there is an explosion. Carter assumes it is due to a nuclear accident but Natalie comes to learn that Michael, a welder, actually caused the explosion on purpose. As she tries to help him heal from his past and show him there is hope for his future she falls for him. We learn that Michael’s pain comes from his childhood of watching his father drink too much and be bitter about his life. Carter’s
environmental company pays for the best lawyer for Michael’s case as he is accused of causing the explosion on purpose. During the trial Natalie and Carter see on the news another explosion in a New Jersey power plant. They bring that welder in to testify how dangerous the job is and how easy human error can occur in this type of work. Michael’s case is dismissed. His father finally is kind to him and this causes Michael to let go of his hurt and move forward with his life and Natalie.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried SO hard to finish this book, but reluctantly gave up. It was so horrible i can't get it off my bookshelves and out of my apartment fast enough. I've liked other books of her's and thought they were decent writing, but this is one only to reference of what NOT to do when writing.

It's predictable, non-descript, cheesy as all hell - I've read chintzy romance novels that are written better than this! There are so many better uses of your time i guarantee.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved almost every Alice Hoffman book I have but this one didn't don't do it for me. It reads like the new writer she was at the time and doesn't even hint at the great writer she became. I'm glad I'd read the others before.

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped reading this one. Could not get into it. Too many great books I want to read......

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

“They make the best gin and tonics in the world here,” Darlene confided, which should have let Fin know right away that he was about to become involved with a West Virginia woman who believed in absolutes.”
More poetic verse that is stronger and sharper than the story it tells.

Another installment of, reading the very early books of an author I know and love for her later books. I am looking at how the author’s voice comes together and… I’m hoping to mark the point where her style changes into the one I enjoy. Published in 1980, the author was 27 years old, younger than I am while reading it.

Angel Landing is a sort of coming-of-age love story between a therapist and a bomber. Again, I hate the relationships in this story. The plot does not justify the anguish. I don’t relate to the characters and my feelings about them range from pity to hatred. The selfish, cause-driven environmental activist is a type I’ve known in life, and even though I deeply care about the cause, I despise this character. The character posed as his alternate, is reckless, passive, and romanticized for his detachment issues, which are likely caused by his abusive upbringing.
These problems are a reflection of the greater disparity of gender equality at the time the book was written. These problems have not gone away, but the way they are romanticized has changed.

But I dislike the character who thinks she loves either of these men even more, because they are so clearly awful, and her ambivalence towards everything is not an appealing trait made worse by her passiveness, which could be clinical depression. Her arc is not satisfying enough for me to truly categorize this as a love story and her character doesn’t care enough for me to invest in her plot journey.

The relationships in this book and the other earlier ones I’ve read seem to be aware of the awfulness they portray, because it does not pay off in emotional catharsis, I can only assume they aim to portray the ‘true ugliness of reality’. I suppose that is better than erasing bad history and making it look good, but it is depressing to read and even with a happy ending this book felt hopeless.

I have started to question what I love about the later books, because I do love them and the clearest thing that is absent in the early books is magic. The characters in these early books use the ideas of magical things or the problems may be associated with unseen/unreal sources, but these perceptions appear to be the characters trying to cope with their trauma through the perception of magic. The actions triggered by these perceptions are rarely more than making herbal tea. In later books the magic, be it the problem or the solution, is more directly and intentionally addressed and motivates the characters, and that may be what I like better. I’ve learned about my taste in troubled loves stories, if feelings are driven by a superficial obsession with or by being the obsession of an ambivalent man, the relationship will never feel like a satisfying love story.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

What he intended to do was not even a plan; it was more like a storm of thoughts that encircled him, so that every step he took was soft and far off the ground, as if his ideas had sprung from the sky. [p.49]

Natalie, a social worker, lives in her aunt Minnie's boarding house in the small Long Island town of Fisher's Cove. Natalie is in Fisher's Cove because her boyfriend Carter is a fervent anti-nuclear protestor, currently protesting the new nuclear power plant being built at Angel Landing, out by the harbour. Then there's an explosion at the plant -- and a few days later, Natalie has a new client, Michael Finn, who claims to have been responsible for the blast. Carter is happy to support Finn, whom he regards as a figurehead for the anti-nuclear movement: but Finn is no hero, and his actions are inextricably (and, to Finn, inexplicably) tangled with his relationship with his father.

The story is split between Natalie's first-person narrative and a third-person review of Finn's life. I did not like Natalie at all: I found her selfish and self-obsessed, and irredeemably shallow. Her first thought on acquiring Finn as a client is 'he might very well soon be quite famous. If he were to be my client I might be interviewed during the course of his trial; the New York Times would contact me, Newsweek would telephone, the Fishers Cove Herald might ask for a daily psychology column.' (p. 32). It's only late in the novel that she understands Carter's genuine commitment to his cause, his passionate love of the natural world and his dread of nuclear accidents. Natalie doesn't seem to like anyone, though she is drawn to Finn for reasons she doesn't explore.

Finn's relationship with his father, which has a more traditional arc, is sad and brutal and, finally, resolved. Finn's story, and the histories of his father and grandfather, are about powerlessness and power, turning away from one's dreams and accepting 'life keeps on going the way it was going'. Is his pivotal act, the mis-fitting of the valve, motivated by destruction or by the need to assume some control over his own life? The novel would have been uneven if it'd focussed solely on the Finns: but Natalie's part of the story did not have the emotional weight to balance Finn's.

Some splendid writing, but also some typos due, I think, to poorly-proofread OCR. There are echoes of the Three Mile Island incident here, though it's never mentioned by name: assuming that reference, this is set in the late 1970s. I think it's one of Hoffman's earliest novels: it really didn't feel up to the standard of her later work.

[Gail Sacharski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of Hoffman's early books &, while I am a great fan of her works, I didn't find as much of her magical writing in it. I wasn't looking for actual magic as appears in her Practical Magic series, but I've always found her writing & book language lyrical & full of delight & breathless wonder. This book was different--there were hints of the magical writing to come in some of the phrasing--but it was a story unlike any of hers I've read. Natalie, a young social worker, is living in her aunt's boarding house in the small, oceanside town of Fisher's Cove on the East coast. She has a romantic relationship with Carter, an environmental activist who is fighting the construction of nuclear power plants, especially the one called Angel Landing in their town. One fall day, there is an explosion at Angel Landing--everyone is sure it was a bomb blast set by a terrorist; a few days later a young man walks into Natalie's therapist office & says he is the bomber & needs her help. This sets off an explosion in Natalie's life as she tries to help her new patient, but finds herself falling in love with him which is against all the rules & can bring nothing but trouble for both of them. I had a hard time connecting with these characters which I almost never do with Hoffman's characters--I became annoyed with Natalie more often than not, & while I could sympathize with the bomber & his sad childhood & family life, his reasons for the "bombing", I still couldn't connect with him. And the whole nuclear plant part of the story didn't hold my interest. This made me sad because I love Hoffman & felt bad that this book disappointed me, that I must be missing something. Or perhaps it was because it was an early book before she'd fully developed her style which I've come to love. It may be just me, & the story will appeal to others.

[Mary Lee]

Things have changed in Fisher’s Cove, the Long Island harbor town where Natalie spent her summers as a girl. The water used to be clean, and from her aunt Minnie’s boarding house you could see all the way to Connecticut even on hazy days. Twenty years ago, Minnie never had a problem finding lodgers—but now everyone wants to be in Montauk or the Hamptons.

The biggest change of all, though, is the nuclear power plant under construction on Angel Landing. Natalie’s boyfriend, Carter, is leading a protest against the plant, and despite the fact that he is more devoted to his environmental work than he is to her, she has followed him to Fisher’s Cove. During the days, she works as a therapist at a local counseling center; in the evenings, she ignores her aunt’s disapproval as she waits for Carter to call. But after an explosion lights up the night sky above Angel Landing, Natalie’s world is turned upside down. Into her office walks a man with an incredible confession to make, and the more she listens, the more Natalie begins to question the direction of her own life. The conclusions she draws—about passion, commitment, and what her heart truly wants—will lead her to a love she never imagined possible.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book as much as some of Alice's other books. I didn't find Natalie and Finn's relationship convincing. It didn't help that sometimes she called him Finn and other times Michael. It was disconcerting. I think the scene where they discuss sex at the dinner table with the "oldies" listening in was just bizarre. The jumps between the past and present in Finn's life story only showed that ultimately despite all that had happened to him he had not changed a lot or grown over that time. For that matter I am not sure Natalie was changed by what had happened either, not enough to want to leave town and certainly not to go and pursue work fighting for the same cause as Carter. I also found the ending disappointing and contrived. How could Finn possibly know Natalie was in the basement? Seemed an odd way to finish it. I really think that the way Finn was portrayed throughout most of the book made it hard for me to believe that he would want to be with Natalie in the end.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found some of the characters annoying others charming. Natalie, the social worker, crosses the lines of professionalism by breaking the confidence of one of her clients. Not only to her Aunt Minnie whom she lives with, but also to her boyfriend. I thought she was rather silly. She also perseveres with a relationship with her boyfriend Carter, who cares more about his work than her. He is rather annoying too. Then we have Finn, Natalie’s client. Deep, dark, troubled Finn. His back story is interesting but his involvement with Natalie somewhat tedious. Aunt Minnie and her border Beaumont give some life and interest to what Is a rather mundane plot. Alice Hoffman ‘s book Seventh Heaven is much better.

[Hong Nguyen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The majority of this book focuses on explaining some childhood/adolescent trauma, parallel with present day psycho-driven "crime". I was so mad pushing through this book because of the illogical decisions made without any meaningful depth of character (except the guy under therapy explaining the trauma), and the lack of interrelational development to explain said decisions, and then I threw it on the ground when I was done because I end up with nothing to justify reading it - I give up, life can be that stupid! I've never been so mad about reading a book before. I realised very quickly this is a very early work of Alice Hoffman. Read it if you must, but don't let it be your first Alice Hoffman novel.

[Everydayreader1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Angel Landing by Alice Hoffman is one of those books that leaves me shaking my head and wondering what the point was. Every time I thought I had the characters figured out, at least to some extent, I found I really had no clue, and maybe that, more than anything was the point. Natalie Lansky, a therapist, allows herself to become involved with her Client, Michael Finn, who admits he tried to blow up a power plant. And then there is Carter Sugarland, Natalie's boyfriend--and I use that term loosely--who is an environmental activist. And we can't forget about Aunt Minnie who has her own brand of eccentricities.

This book left me feeling aimless and surrounded by strange people. Maybe after some reflection, I can appreciate these characters more for who they are.

[Tracy Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Alice Hoffman as an author, let me say that first. But I really disliked this book. The female character is an ineffective therapist, to say the least, in the wrong job. But that might've been an effective beginning for a story, if the characters had been better. What bugged me even more was that the guy she falls for is both damaged and mostly a jerk. Why his therapist, or anyone else, would fall for a man like this is beyond me. Also, what I've always loved about Hoffman's writing is her ability to weave magic into everyday life. This book totally lacked that. I kept reading hoping it would get better but it never did. I hate to leave a review like this for a favorite author, but I have to be honest.

[Deborah Biner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huge Holes in the Plot

I have read many of Alice Hoffman's books and loved them, but found this one difficult to get into. The main characters weren't likeable and the romance was ridiculous. No social worker would be so cavalier about confidentiality or take on a case just to further their career. Finn didn't seem to have any motive for his actions yet Carter wanted to use him to further his cause. The lawyer was laughable. None of it made any sense so why not add a ridiculous ending?

The author needed to do some research into the professions she wrote about to make the characters and the context more believable. This was definitely not one of Alice Hoffman's best efforts.

[Lisa Ferretti · Rating 1 out of 5]

SPOILERS. This isn't the "good, old-fashioned love story" it's billed as on the front cover. Rather, it's a story about two deeply flawed people who have nothing in common and no good reason to be together. The narrator is a social worker who continually makes poor decisions in her personal and professional life. The object of her obsession is a client, a depressed trauma survivor who has just committed a crime that could have resulted in the deaths of many people. How many red flags can you count in that sentence? The book is clearly a reaction to the Three Mile Island event and probably felt current and relevant at the time, but now seems dated.

[Patrick Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of two people. an environmental activist and a therapist, that are so into assisting others in their job that they are neglecting to tend to their relationship with each other. Enter Michael Finn who walks into the therapist Natalie's counseling where he confesses that he sabotaged a nuclear plant. Besides that he has father issues. Finn is tried for the crime and his defense funded by Natalie's environmentalist anti nuke boy friend. Somehow Natalie comes to love Finn but remain with her boyfriend, Finn gets back with his father and all ends well. The gentle writing saves this from a being a disaster but it is far from the author's best work.

[Beth (FebruaryFilly) · Rating 2 out of 5]

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Def wasn’t one of Hoffman’s stronger works. I didn’t connect with the fact the MC was falling for this guy. Just that she was terrible at her job, her aunt was highly manipulative and her co worker was run-her-over horrible. As was her non-committed, self-absorbed boyfriend. So many of the character reactions and responses were puzzling to me. It didn’t make sense to me that they were react the way they did or jump to the conclusions they did. Little seemed rational. So much casual talk about depression thrown around as if it were the answer to everything. It was treated very buzz-word without any depth of concern for this character who supposedly was.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

With all due respect to one of my favorite authors and “The Washington Post,” quoted on the book’s cover as “Alice Hoffman’s writing at its precise and heart-breaking best,” I must disagree and pan this novel.

The main character is, at best, lost and aimless; at worst, she is pathetic and unlikable. Her love interest is aloof and boring. How does she even fall in love with him?

Sadly—because I love so many of Hoffman’s books—I had to force myself to finish this one. Neither the story nor the characters in it were very interesting or enjoyable.