The Invisible Hour Reading Guide- Reading and Book Club Challenge

Naomi Weisman is the writer and editor of Nomi's Pics in our Rambler Café Blog. She is a Canadian-Australian and mother of three who loves to ramble with her dog, cook for family and friends, and laugh whenever possible.

In The Invisible Hour, Alice Hoffman weaves a poignant tale of women finding their strength and navigating their paths in a world full of choices and challenges. Below is a set of questions to guide your reading experience, organized thematically to help you reflect on the novel’s deeper layers as you go along. These questions will help you engage with the characters, their decisions, and the world they inhabit.

Themes to Ponder While Reading

• Choice and Agency: The novel explores the theme of choice, especially regarding women’s autonomy over their lives and bodies. From Ivy’s decisions about pregnancy to Mia’s journey to self-empowerment, the characters struggle with their options and the consequences of their actions.

• The Power of Women: Each female character in The Invisible Hour embodies a different form of strength. The novel celebrates both the quiet and loud forms of resilience, loyalty, and love.

• Time and Memory: The novel plays with timelines, both in the literal sense (Mia's connection to Nathaniel) and the emotional sense (how the past continuously affects the present). The characters' relationships with the past shape their futures.

Questions to Guide Your Reading

1. The Prologue’s Tone:
   We first meet Mia in the prologue as she tries to escape The Community. How does the prologue set the tone for the rest of the story? Does it give you any clues about Mia’s character or her motivations?

2. "West of the Moon":
   Ivy tells people she grew up “west of the moon.” Where does this phrase come from, and why do you think this is her response to inquiries about her past? How does this choice of words reflect her character and her relationship with her history?

3. Helen, Ivy, Mia, and the Women’s Relationships:
   The relationship between Helen and Ivy feels similar to Mia’s relationships with Sarah and Constance. How do these relationships mirror each other? What, if any, are the major differences between these dynamics?

4. The Theme of Choice:
   Helen tells Mia that Ivy “should have had the choice to decide what to do with her own body and her own fate” (p. 99). Discuss the choices presented to Ivy when she found out she was pregnant (sent away, adoption, runaway, marriage to the father). How does this scenario compare to the choices women face today? Has anything changed, or do these issues remain the same?

5. The Settings as Characters:
   The settings of The Invisible Hour—Boston, Concord, and New York—play an integral role in the narrative. How do the locations function as characters in the story? What role does each place play in shaping the characters and their experiences?

6. Nathaniel’s Need to Write:
   Nathaniel’s deep need to write persists even during his depressive episodes. Do you think writing provided him with comfort or dread? In what ways were his sisters integral to his success, and how does this contribute to his overall journey?
7. Joel’s Demise:
   Discuss Joel’s ultimate demise. How is he bested by women for the final time? What does his downfall say about the power dynamics between him and the women in his life?

8. Mia’s Return to Nathaniel’s Time:
   Why do you think Mia returned to Nathaniel’s time? What was she hoping to achieve by revisiting that era? How does her return impact her own growth as a character?

9. Mia and Ivy’s Choices:
   Mia’s decision to raise her daughter alone is a significant one. How is her choice similar to Ivy’s? Do you think Mia learned from her mother’s mistakes, and if so, how does this shape her identity as a mother?

Reflection on Themes

• As you read The Invisible Hour, keep the central themes in mind: choice, strength, and the shifting landscape of women's lives. The novel challenges us to reflect on the choices that shape us, the relationships that define us, and how time can both bind and free us.

• Think about the impact of the setting and the presence of time as a force in the characters' lives. How do the characters’ experiences with time—both past and present—affect their decisions?

By the end of your reading, think about how Mia’s journey, along with the other female characters, illustrates the complexities of life, love, and self-discovery. These questions are designed to help you navigate those complexities and engage with the novel’s emotional depth. Happy reading!

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