Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, A Brief History of The Renaissance and our BookBrowse Review of In The Company of the Courtesan.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
About The Book
My lady, Fiammetta Bianchini, was plucking her eyebrows and biting color
into her lips when the unthinkable happened and the Holy Roman Emperor's
army blew a hole in the wall of God's eternal city, letting in a flood of
half-starved, half-crazed troops bent on pillage and punishment.
Thus begins
In the Company of the Courtesan, Sarah Dunant's epic
novel of life in Renaissance Italy. Escaping the sack of Rome in 1527, with
their stomachs churning on the jewels they have swallowed, the courtesan
Fiammetta and her dwarf companion, Bucino, head for Venice, the shimmering
city born out of water to become a miracle of east-west trade: rich and
rancid, pious and profitable, beautiful and squalid.
With a mix of courage and cunning they infiltrate Venetian society. Together
they make the perfect partnership: the sharp-tongued, sharp-witted dwarf,
and his vibrant mistress, trained from birth to charm, entertain, and
satisfy men who have the money to support her.
Yet as their fortunes rise, this perfect partnership comes under threat,
from the searing passion of a lover who wants more than his allotted nights
to the attentions of an admiring Turk in search of human novelties for his
sultan's court. But Fiammetta and Bucino's greatest challenge comes from a
young crippled woman, a blind healer who insinuates herself into their lives
and hearts with devastating consequences for them all.
A story of desire and deception, sin and religion, loyalty and friendship,
In the Company of the Courtesan paints a portrait of one of the world's
greatest cities at its most potent moment in history: It is a picture that
remains vivid long after the final page.
Discussion Guide
- In what ways do you think In the Company of the Courtesan seems
historically accurate? What details about Renaissance Italy do you think
came from the author's imagination, and what aspects of it seemed to be
based on her historical research of the period?
- Do you think a character like Fiammetta could exist today? What, if
anything, is modern about her?
- What did you think of Fiametta's relationship with her mother, and her
mother's influence on her daughter's life?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Random House.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
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