Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel opens in 1957 with the revelation that Ettie burned down Tartuffe’s studio. How did having this information from the very beginning shape your experience of the story’s suspense and characters?

2. How did you feel about the novel’s exploration of the “male genius” and the silenced woman behind the scenes? Did it remind you of other stories that reclaim female narratives, such as Madeline Miller’s Circe (2018), or other historical fiction you’ve read?

3. Which scene or image from the book has stayed with you the most? What made that moment so powerful for you?

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

1. Ettie’s forgery is a secret, creative rebellion that allows her to develop her talent away from Tartuffe’s judgment. Think about a time you pursued a passion or a project in private. What did that privacy allow you to explore or create that you might not have otherwise?

2. Joseph arrives at the farmhouse with a romanticized, hero-worshipping view of Tartuffe, only to have that illusion slowly dismantled. Have you ever had an experience where meeting a person you admired revealed a more complex reality? How did you reconcile the myth with the person?

3. The idea of being “truly seen” is what solidifies the bond between Ettie and Joseph. Within your own life, who is someone who helps you feel truly seen? Consider sharing a personal story about your bond.

4. Peggy’s casual revelation that women have been admitted to the Académie for years completely shatters Ettie’s world. Can you recall a moment when learning something changed your entire perspective on your own situation or your past? What did you do with this information?

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

1. The story is deeply rooted in the historical reality of the institutional barriers that women artists faced in the early 20th century. How does understanding this context of exclusion from places like the École des Beaux-Arts affect your reading of Ettie’s radical choices? Where do you see echoes of these challenges for female creators today?

2. What does the novel’s portrayal of Rupert’s “shell shock” and his subjection to cruel electric shock therapies reveal about the era’s understanding of mental trauma? How have societal attitudes toward PTSD and the mental health of soldiers evolved since World War I?

3. Joseph’s status as a conscientious objector makes him an outcast in his own family and society. What does his storyline suggest about the pressures of patriotism and the personal cost of dissenting from a dominant national ideology during a time of war?

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

1. The theme of Patriarchy as Rot is central to the novel. How does the recurring motif of rotting food serve as a physical manifestation of the moral and emotional decay within the farmhouse?

2. Let’s discuss the significance of Ettie’s outbuilding studio. How does this setting support Ettie’s character development and the novel’s themes?

3. How does Steeds use fire to illustrate Subversion and Destruction as Feminist Resistance? Point to specific evidence from the text.

4. What role do the recurring allusions to Homer’s The Odyssey play in the novel? How does Steeds contrast the classical hero’s glorious homecoming with the grim reality of veterans’ trauma in a modern world?

5. How does this story compare and contrast to other books about reclaiming a female narrative, such as Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring (2000)?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you are the curator writing the wall plaque for Ettie’s painting A Beginning at her 1957 exhibition. Knowing its secret origin is the memory of washing Joseph’s bloody shirt, what would you write to capture its emotional power for the public without giving away its private meaning?

2. If you were adapting The Artist and the Feast for the screen, which scene would be the most challenging to film, and why?

3. Ettie alters her copy of The Feast by adding a 13th place setting, giving herself a seat at the table. If you could add or change one small detail in a famous work of art, literature, or music to give a voice to a hidden figure, what would it be and why?