{
  "id": 18695255,
  "title": "Can we ever really know the past? Rebecca Perry’s debut novel May We Feed the King asks the big question",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/can-we-ever-really-know-the-past-rebecca-perrys-debut-novel-may-we",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-07T10:42:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/books-and-literature/rebecca-perry-debut-may-we-feed-the-king-10954687/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rebecca Perry's debut novel, \"May We Feed the King\", explores the question of whether we can ever truly know the past. The story opens with an unnamed curator who dresses rooms in historic buildings, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in another time. The narrator, whose gender is unspecified, is dealing with a personal tragedy and embarking on a new project in a medieval palace. Alongside the curator, we meet the king, who ascends to the throne after his two older brothers die. The king is portrayed as being oppressed by the feeling that the present is \"a banshee wailing in his ear\" and resents his transformation from a private subject to a royal object. The novel masterfully weaves together two stories, with the narrator's desire to recreate rooms so that it appears as if \"the person or people have just left the room\" reflecting readers' curiosity about historical fiction. The question of whether we can genuinely understand and see ourselves in another life is central to the novel, as readers grapple with the idea that reading is an act of radical empathy. Perry's clever and unsettling book rewards multiple readings, as there are hints and clues throughout the narrative that only become clear upon closer inspection. The king's story is told through the perspectives of others, such as courtiers' gossip, a young attendant's observations, and the chief advisor's ire, leaving the reader to question the reliability of records and the narrator's motives. Ultimately, \"May We Feed the King\" invites the reader to suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves in the larger picture, just as they would when encountering an optical illusion.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}