The Invisible Hour

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of physical abuse and emotional abuse.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel weaves together a story of escape from a cult, time travel, and a romance with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Which narrative thread resonated most strongly with you, and why? What aspects of the storytelling made this element particularly compelling?

2. Hoffman uses magical realism to create a story where time travel and gradual disappearance become central plot devices. What was your reaction to these supernatural elements? Did they enhance the themes of choice and visibility, or did they distract from the story’s more realistic aspects?

3. Alice Hoffman is known for novels that blend magic with everyday reality. If you’ve read her Practical Magic series or any of her other works, how does The Invisible Hour’s treatment of supernatural elements compare? What distinguishes Hoffman’s approach to magical realism in this novel?

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

1. Libraries serve as physical and metaphorical sanctuaries for Mia throughout her life. What spaces have acted as refuges for you during difficult times? How did these places shape your sense of identity?

2. The novel suggests that literature has the power to liberate us from mental constraints and even save lives. Has a particular book ever fundamentally changed your perspective or helped you through a significant life challenge?

3. Throughout the story, Mia struggles with visibility versus invisibility. Have you ever found yourself making calculations about how much of yourself to reveal in certain environments? What factors influenced your decisions in those moments?

4. Mia treasures her mother’s red boots despite their complicated symbolism, carrying them from the Community through her journey in time. Is there an object in your life that holds similar significance or connects you to someone important? How has your relationship with this object evolved over time?

5. The Community restricts access to novels because literature sparks imagination and resistance. In what ways have you observed information or ideas being deliberately withheld as a form of control? How did you or others respond to these limitations?

6. Both Ivy and Mia face life-altering choices about their pregnancies in different time periods. Their decisions are shaped by drastically different circumstances and options. How is our ability to make meaningful life choices influenced by our environment and the era we live in?

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

1. The cult-like Community in the novel controls its members through strict rules, punishment, and limited access to outside ideas. What contemporary parallels do you see to this kind of ideological manipulation? How might these systems particularly impact women and children?

2. Elizabeth explains to Mia that her daughter would have extremely limited options in the 19th century compared to modern times. In what ways does the novel highlight the evolution of women’s choices and freedoms across different time periods? Are there areas where you feel this progress has stalled or reversed?

3. The branding of women with letters in the Community directly references Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and its treatment of female “transgression.” What parallels do you see between these public shamings in the novel and the ways women are judged for perceived moral failings in our current society?

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

1. Apples are a powerful symbol throughout the novel. What significance do they hold for different characters, and how does their symbolic meaning evolve? Why might Hoffman have chosen this particular symbol for a story about female power and choice?

2. The narrative structure begins with Mia’s first-person perspective in the Prelude but shifts to third-person for the remainder. What effect does this narrative choice have on your understanding of Mia’s journey? How might the story have differed if it were told entirely in first person?

3. In what ways does Nathaniel Hawthorne serve as both a romantic interest and a representation of literature’s liberating power for Mia? How does their relationship help her reconcile her past trauma with her future possibilities?

4. Compare the characterizations of Joel Davis and Nathaniel Hawthorne. What do these contrasting male figures reveal about the novel’s exploration of patriarchal control versus creative partnership?

5. The False Security of Invisibility is one of the novel’s major themes. How do Mia’s attempts to become invisible paradoxically put her in greater danger? What does the novel suggest about the relationship between visibility and personal power?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you could travel back in time, like Mia does, to meet any author from history, who would you choose and why? What questions would you ask them about their work, and what impact do you think this encounter might have on your own life?

2. Imagine writing a short letter from the perspective of Mia’s daughter at age 18, just after learning about her extraordinary heritage. What might she want to say to either Nathaniel Hawthorne or Ivy Jacob?

3. The novel ends with Mia looking forward to raising her daughter in the modern world. Create an alternative ending in which Mia chooses to stay in the past with Nathaniel. What consequences might arise from this decision for both characters and for literature itself?

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