The Invisible Mountain Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Uruguay and our BookBrowse Review of The Invisible Mountain.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

About This Book

On the first day of the millennium, a small town gathers to witness a miracle—the mysterious reappearance of a lost infant, Pajarita—and unravel its portents for the century. Later, as a young woman in the capital city—Montevideo, brimming with growth and promise—Pajarita begins a lineage of fiercely independent women. Her daughter, Eva, survives a brutal childhood to pursue her dreams as a rebellious poet and along the hazardous precipices of erotic love. Eva's daughter, Salomé, driven by an unrelenting idealism, commits clandestine acts that will end in tragedy as unrest sweeps Uruguay. But what saves them all is the fierce fortifying connection between mother and daughter that will bring them together to face the future.

From Perón's glittering Buenos Aires to the rustic hills of Rio de Janeiro, from the haven of a corner butcher shop to U.S. embassy halls, the Firielli family traverses a changing South America and the uncharted terrain of their relationships with one another.

Reader's Guide

1. Regarding the title, De Robertis said, “I see the themes of this story running through the characters' lives as they hunger and strive for intangible entities they cannot see.” What are they striving for? What other meanings does the title have?
2. Were you familiar with Uruguayan or Argentinean history before reading the novel? Would you like to learn more?
3. Reread the epigraphs. When you first read them, what did you expect from the novel? In reading them again, why do you think De Robertis chose them?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Vintage. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.