Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era

How does Leamer integrate outside sources, such as the swans’ memoirs and interviews, Truman’s own writing, and other reporting on his life? What effect does the inclusion have on the overall narrative?

How do the major cultural changes of the 1960s and 1970s affect the course of Truman’s life? In what ways do they begin to undermine and interrogate the social framework that so fascinates Truman throughout Leamer’s text?

Compare and contrast two of Truman’s swans. What similarities can you identify between the women? How do they differ? How does this comparison shape your understanding of the characters and the text’s thematic exploration of Self-Presentation as an Art Form?

How do Truman’s romantic relationships shape his life? How does the public perception of these relationships differ from reality?

Truman Capote’s most famous work is In Cold Blood, a true crime book describing the murder of a Kansas family and subsequent trial. How does the violence depicted in In Cold Blood book inform Truman’s work on Answered Prayers?

In the acknowledgments, Leamer admits that he hopes Capote’s Women can act as a stand-in for Truman’s unfinished novel. Given what you know about Truman’s goals for the novel, did he succeed? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Compare and contrast the husbands of Truman’s swans. What similarities can you identify in these men and their relationships? How do they differ? How does this comparison shed light on Leamer’s depiction of their wives and the text’s thematic interest in Marriage as a Business Arrangement?

Despite his knowledge of the swans’ difficult social lives, Truman still idolizes the wealth and celebrity that defines their social world. How does Leamer reflect or complicate Truman’s celebration of their lifestyles?