The Art of Joy centers on Modesta, a Sicilian woman born on January 1, 1900, whose strength and character are an affront to conventional morality. Impoverished as a child, Modesta believes she is destined for a better life. She is able, through grace and intelligence, to secure marriage to an aristocrat—without compromising her own deeply felt values. Friend, mother, lover—Modesta revels in upsetting the rules of her fascist, patriarchal society.

This is the history of the twentieth century, transfigured by the perspective of one extraordinary woman. Sapienza, an intriguing figure in her own right—her father homeschooled her so she wouldn’t be exposed to fascist influences—was a respected actress and writer who drew on her own struggles to craft this powerful epic. A fictionalized memoir, a book of romance and adventure, a feminist text, a bildungsroman—this novel is ultimately undefinable but deeply necessary.

LOCATION: Maison Internationale des Associations, salle Albert Jacquard
Presenter: LISA
Starting time: 19:15 sharp
Format:

Members introduction (5-10 minutes)
Book presentation (20-30 minutes)
A brief history of the author’s life
A short summary of the book
Main ideas/themes

Group discussion (45-60 minutes), members' personal views on the book, opposing ideas, etc.
Announcement/info on next meeting (5 minutes)
Note: reading the book is not a "must" to attend the meeting, but encouraged if you want to actively participate in the discussion.
We look forward to seeing you all!
Upcoming events: https://www.genevainternationalbookclub.com/post/future
Past events: https://www.genevainternationalbookclub.com/post/_past
Presentation slides (current year): https://www.genevainternationalbookclub.com/post/slides-2025