Tess has two father figures in her life: her biological father, Nick, and her longtime stepfather, David. How do these men, and Tess’s relationships with them, compare? What different aspects of fatherhood do they represent?

Beard writes the book in an epistolary format, with Tess addressing letters to her younger sister, Zoe, and often addressing her with “you.” Explore Beard’s structural choices: Why structure the novel this way? What does this approach add or enhance? How does the form of the novel reinforce or juxtapose any themes? Consider any moments when Tess directly acknowledges her letter writing, as well as moments when the structure slips, such as in the chapter “Little Dance.”

Explore Tess’s relationship with beauty: How does she define beauty? How are different forms of beauty represented in the book? Does Tess’s relationship to beauty change over the course of the novel? What, if any, are moments of true beauty in the book?