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The Marriage Portrait: Reese's Book Club

A novel
By Maggie O'Farrell
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in 1550s Florence, The Marriage Portrait follows Lucrezia de' Medici, the third daughter of the grand duke, who finds herself unexpectedly wed to Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara, after her sister's untimely death. Thrust into a foreign and secretive court, Lucrezia navigates the complexities of her new role and the uncertain nature of her marriage amidst political intrigue and artistic splendour. Her primary expectation is to secure an heir, but with her future precariously balanced, she must display resilience and wit to survive.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5100

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel will appeal to readers fascinated by historical fiction, particularly those interested in Renaissance Italy and strong female protagonists. Fans of Maggie O'Farrell's previously acclaimed Hamnet and lovers of immersive, character-driven narratives will find much to admire.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION FINALIST • REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER

The author of the award-winning Hamnet brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici as she makes her way in a troubled court.

“I could not stop reading this incredible true story.” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club Pick)

"O’Farrell pulls out little threads of historical detail to weave this story of a precocious girl sensitive to the contradictions of her station...You may know the history, and you may think you know what’s coming, but don’t be so sure." —The Washington Post

Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena, and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf.

Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her new husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble?

As Lucrezia sits in constricting finery for a painting intended to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court’s eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferranese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, the new duchess’s future hangs entirely in the balance.

Full of the beauty and emotion with which she illuminated the Shakespearean canvas of Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell turns her talents to Renaissance Italy in an extraordinary portrait of a resilient young woman’s battle for her very survival.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780593315088

Publisher: Random House USA Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 July 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Vintage Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 202.0mm

Weight: 255g

Pages: 352

Collections

European History Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction History & Archaeology History & Military Literary Fiction Maggie O'Farrell Penguin Books

About the Author

MAGGIE O'FARRELL was born in Northern Ireland in 1972. Her novels include Hamnet (winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award), After You’d Gone, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, The Hand That First Held Mine (winner of the Costa Novel Award), and Instructions for a Heatwave. She has also written a memoir, I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death. She lives in Edinburgh.

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