The Book of Lost Hours

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How does The Book of Lost Hours compare to other speculative fiction novels that you have read—in particular, ones that use similar conceits or explore similar themes, like Kaliane Bradley’s The Ministry of Time (2024)? How do the novels’ fantastical elements impact your enjoyment and understanding of the works?

2. How did your feelings about Lisavet/Moira’s character change throughout the novel? Discuss what you liked and disliked about her arc.

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. If you could visit any moment, whether personal or historical, which would you choose, and why?

2. Have you ever connected with someone across ideological lines, the way characters like Amelia and Anton do? What did you learn from the experience?

3. Poetry plays an important role in the characters’ lives. What work of literature has changed the way you see yourself and/or the world around you?

4. How did Lisavet and Amelia’s experiences of grief resonate with you? Have you ever struggled to let go of someone or something? What ultimately allowed you to do so?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How did the novel use its characters to explore tensions between the United States and Russia during the Cold War? What contemporary geopolitical conflicts does the depiction evoke? What solution does the novel present to these tensions, if any?

2. Consider the novel’s presentation of female characters. How do they conform to or subvert traditional gender roles? What do Lisavet and Amelia’s characters convey about women and autonomy?

3. What did the novel teach you about history and its manipulation by those in power? To what extent do the dynamics that underpin the erasure of Jewish history, of Black history, etc., persist today? What can you personally do to address some of these issues?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What role does Azrael play in the novel? For instance, how does his character impact the growth and development of the other characters? What themes do you think the author is trying to convey through his character?

2. Discuss one internal and one external conflict that Lisavet/Moira faces. How are these conflicts resolved, if at all? How do their resolutions, or lack thereof, cause Lisavet/Moira to grow and change?

3. Consider the interplay between the themes of The Value of Human Connection and The Importance of Accepting Grief and Loss. How do these themes intersect in the characters’ lives? What does the novel argue about human connection and the inevitable loss that stems from it?

4. Have you read Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Aurora Leigh? If so, how does this poem impact your understanding of Lisavet/Moira and/or Amelia, as well as their relationship? If you were previously unfamiliar with the poem, did you feel this limited your ability to understand the novel?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you are tasked with creating a movie version of the novel. Choose one scene that you would include in the movie, and discuss how you would adapt it, considering casting, music, lighting, mise en scène, and more. How do your choices convey the scene’s message(s)?

2. Reread the scene where Amelia goes into the garden to see Lisavet in Chapter 23. How would this scene have looked from Lisavet’s perspective? Discuss what you believe happened to Lisavet after she destroyed the time space, what she remembers, and how her memories impact her feelings now that she is in this new life.