The Dream Hotel

Content Warning: This section contains discussions of racism/profiling, sexism, and abuses related to incarceration.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your emotional response to the events in the book? Use specific adjectives to describe how one or two major scenes made you feel. How does this compare with your responses to other books in the dystopian genre, like 1984, if any?

2. How do you feel about Sara as a protagonist? Do you find her relatable? Why or why not?

3. How do you feel about the novel’s ending? Is it satisfying, sudden, or something else altogether?

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

1. Have you ever felt the urge to disconnect from technology and go “off the grid?” Why or why not? How would this change your life and the lives of those around you, and has this book affected your opinions on even theoretically doing so?

2. Do you think this novel’s projection of the future is accurate and feasible? Why or why not? What aspects of the society in this novel reflect things you have observed in the world today?

3. Sara’s relationships in the novel are often tense and complicated, with few people acting consistently supportive. How would you respond if you were in her situation? Do you think she makes the right call in how she responds to people like her husband or father?

4. How would you feel if the data from your dreams could be harvested or shared with others? Does the idea of a Dreamsaver social media app appeal to you?

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

1. As the child of an immigrant, Sara regularly reflects on the legality of immigrants and their changing acceptability in American society. How do her experiences with racism and discrimination reflect the experiences of immigrants and people of color in present-day America? What does the novel therefore say about America’s potential future?

2. There are very few male characters in the novel, yet all of them have some position of power over the women. What does this say about the potential future for women in America? Are things different for women in this future compared to how they are today?

3. Lalami started writing this book in 2014 but picked it back up during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is alluded to at one point in the novel itself. What are the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the political turbulence that has followed—on the storytelling, themes, and plot? How has the COVID-19 pandemic shaped Lalami’s view of the future?

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

1. What narrative purpose does the sudden shift in perspective to Julie’s point of view serve, except to give the reader more information? What impact does it have on the themes of the story to see Julie’s life and understand her feelings?

2. Choose one of Sara’s dream sequences and analyze the symbolism, considering Sara’s own interpretation of her dreams in your response. Is it possible to consistently interpret dreams? How does this contribute to the general theme of algorithms being imperfect judges of human character?

3. There are many side characters in the novel, none of whom receive a clear ending to their stories and arcs. How does having so many different supporting characters benefit the narrative or themes of the novel? How does it weaken it?

4. How does the setting of Madison contribute to the plot and tone of the novel? Consider the palimpsestic nature of Madison in your answer—what are the thematic implications of Madison once being a school transformed into a retention center?

5. How does the novel use deprivation as a theme and narrative element? What do the various scenes where the women are deprived of necessities convey about the world and about the human condition?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Take one of the side characters from the novel—Alice, Toya, Emily, etc.—and imagine an “ending” for their story, taking what information the novel reveals about them into account. How do they get out of retention? What do they do with their lives afterwards? Can any of the women truly recover from their experiences at Madison?

2. Consider turning this novel into a different genre, like a TV series or a short story. What parts would you cut and what parts would you keep? Would you change aspects of the novel for a different medium?

3. Imagine you are in this near-future world of Sara and the others. Do you think you would end up in retention? Why or why not? When separated from the perspectives in the novel, would you feel similarly to the women in retention, or do you think your opinions would be closer to Julie’s?