The Curse of Pietro Houdini Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, US Military Mules in World War II and our BookBrowse Review of The Curse of Pietro Houdini.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. In the book's first sentence, the narrator says that "Pietro Houdini claimed that life clung to him like a curse and if he could escape it he would." Then, in the final sentence of the book, the narrator claims that "I am the curse of Pietro Houdini." What do you think the narrator means by this, and what throughout the book and the relationship between Pietro and the narrator support this claim?
2. Why did the narrator cling to Pietro, and how do you the trauma/events of Pietro's past draw him into such a close relationship with the narrator?
3. What was your initial reaction when Pietro shared that, in order to hide the Tiziano paintings from the Nazis, he would paint over them? How does this relate to the theme of beauty growing out of change and destruction?

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