The Hypnotist's Love Story

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Who was your favorite character in the book? What did you like or find interesting about that character?

2. What were some of the most exciting or painful scenes for you? What made them so?

3. Compare this book to one Moriarty’s other works that interweave the themes of women’s lives, secrets, and complex family dynamics, like Truly Madly Guilty or What Alice Forgot. What similarities do you notice between the themes and struggles of these protagonists?

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

1. How did you relate to the theme of breakups and the grief that can follow ending a relationship? Whose experience did you most relate to?

2. Did you relate to any of the blended families that were described in the book? How did your own family situation while growing up compare to that of the characters’?

3. Have you ever been hypnotized, or tried to hypnotize yourself? What was that experience like? Did you identify with any of Ellen’s patients?

4. Ellen struggles to adjust to having Patrick and Jack in her house after they move in. Have you ever faced a challenging adjustment in your living situation? How did your way of coping compare or contrast with Ellen’s?

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

1. Both Patrick and Ellen observe the comparative lack of empathy for male targets of stalkers. What cultural attitudes do you think contribute to this tendency to diminish the sense of victimhood when the target is a man? How might The Hypnotist’s Love Story challenge, or reinforce, problematic cultural assumptions around stalking?

2. Saskia believes that, if Patrick had died, she would have been allowed to grieve, and argues that no one is sufficiently sympathetic to the grief of a break up. Do you agree that your society does not have rituals or sufficient understanding for the loss of romantic love? Why or why not?

3. What are some of the common attitudes toward or misconceptions about hypnosis that play a part in the book? What message do you think the novel conveys about hypnotherapy?

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

1. Explore the connections between Saskia and Ellen and the way they are foils and antagonists for one another.

2. Discuss the novel’s theme of love, not just familial love but also romantic love. How do other characters bear out Patrick’s assessment that love is not a black-and-white, either-or concept?

3. Discuss what the setting of Australia adds to the book. How is Australia depicted? Would the novel work in a different setting?

4. Explore the novel’s themes of grief and how that bears out on character development. How does the novel depict various forms of grief?

5. In what way are Ellen’s wellness stone and Saskia’s marble functioning as the same kind of symbol? What do you think each of these objects represents for each protagonist?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Compare this book to others by Moriarity that have an unusual premise or gimmick, like Here One Moment (2024) or Nine Perfect Strangers (2018). Take a character from one book and put them in another. Show how their reactions help highlight the themes or messages of the new book.

2. Imagine how Ellen might have responded if Jon suddenly wanted her back. Write three different scenes which show Jon approaching her (1) in the early days of dating Patrick, (2) after Patrick’s proposal when Ellen is having second thoughts, and (3) after Ellen has Grace. Show Ellen’s evolving character arc in how she responds to her ex.

3. Recreate (or redecorate) Ellen’s house, especially her office. Feel free to use two or three-dimensional media to capture her personality.