Women's Hotel Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Women's Hotels in 20th Century New York City and our BookBrowse Review of Women's Hotel.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Discuss the significance of Daniel M. Lavery's choice to focus on a specific time period and setting in American history, and how this adds depth and meaning to the overall narrative of Women's Hotel.
2. Women's Hotel has a full cast of fascinating, rich characters. Explore the intricate dynamics between them, especially during critical events like Moving Day. How do these dynamics influence their relationships and interactions?
3. The interplay between personal ambition and communal living is a central narrative strand. How do the aspirations of individual characters at the Biedermeier influence both their personal trajectories and their relationships with others?

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