Synopses & Reviews
On the first day of the year 1900, a small town deep in the Uruguayan countryside gathers to witness a miracle—the mysterious reappearance Pajarita, a lost infant who will grow up to begin a lineage of fiercely independent women. Her daughter, Eva, a stubborn beauty intent on becoming a poet, overcomes a shattering betrayal to embark on a most unconventional path. And Eva's daughter, Salomé, awakens to both her sensuality and political convictions amid the violent turmoil of the late 1960s.
The Invisible Mountain is a stunning exploration of the search for love and a poignant celebration of the fierce connection between mothers and daughters.
Synopsis
A gripping and lyrical story--at once expansive and lush with detail--this debut novel is a deeply intimate exploration of the search for love and authenticity, power and redemption, in the lives of three women.
About the Author
Carolina De Robertis was raised in England, Switzerland, and California by Uruguayan parents. Her fiction and literary translations have appeared in
ColorLines, The Virginia Quarterly Review, and
Zoetrope: All-Story, among others. She is the recipient of a 2008 Hedgebrook Residency for Women Authoring Change and the translator of the Chilean novella
Bonsái by Alejandro Zambra. She lives in Oakland, California.
Visit the author's website: www.carolinaderobertis.com
Reading Group Guide
The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading group's discussion of The Invisible Mountain, Carolina De Robertis's mesmerizing debut novel about three generations of Uruguayan women.
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?
4. The novel opens with Salomé's letter to Victoria, in which she writes, “Everything that disappears is somewhere” (pp. 3). How does this notion play out over the course of the novel?
5. All three women go to great lengths to remain true to themselves, to find authenticity. How does each suffer for it? Who is most successful?
6. Which mother-daughter relationship did you most relate to?
7. How does each woman's name help to determine her life story?
8. Pajarita's story begins with a miracle. Are there other miracles in the novel? What do they signify?
9. What role do Pajarita's herbs play in the novel? Why are they so important?
10. How does the oldest generation's ignorance of politics lead to the youngest generation's activism?
11. There are several different types of male-female relationships in the novel, among them father-daughter, brother-sister, and lovers. In which type are the men most supportive of the women? Why do you think that is?
12. Discuss the power of words, as it applies to the main characters. Does Pajarita revere them as her daughter and granddaughter do? For whom are they most important?
13. What do you think causes Eva's paralysis?
14. After the first rape, why does Eva return to Pietro's store?
15. Discuss Eva's time in Argentina. How does it change her?
16. How does the character of Andrés/Zolá relate to De Robertis's notion of authenticity? Did Eva's response to her surprise you?
17. Why does Eva keep her children's shoes?
18. Throughout the novel, the women carry great secrets. How does secrecy affect each of their relationships?
19. On page 349, Salomé thinks, “People do not suspect what they cannot imagine.” How does this apply to Pajarita and Eva, too?
20. Why does Salomé refuse Leona's offer of a knitting needle?
21. How does Salomé survive her years in prison? What helps her most?
22. Discuss the ending. Why does Ignazio insist on a gondola? Where do you think he takes his wife?
23. How do you imagine Victoria will react to Salomé's letter?
24. Which character did you like the best? Who would you like to spend more time with?