Our Hidden Lives cover

Our Hidden Lives

by Simon Garfield

In 1936 the Mass Observation Project was set up. The idea was that ordinary people would record, in diary form, what happened in their everyday lives. Simon Garfield has woven a tapestry of diary entries, focusing mainly on six characters, in the period from 1945 to 1950. The result is moving, intriguing, funny and at times heart-breaking.

More by Simon Garfield

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?