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The Marriage Portrait

the Instant Sunday Times Bestseller, Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023
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
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell is a richly woven tale set in Renaissance Italy. It follows Lucrezia de' Medici, a young woman suddenly thrust into the complexities of a political marriage. As Lucrezia navigates her new world, the story delves into themes of power, identity, and survival, capturing the essence of a tumultuous historical period with vivid detail and emotion.
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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?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to historical fiction steeped in rich detail and vivid characterisation. It offers a compelling glimpse into Renaissance Italy, exploring themes of art, power, and the intricacies of marital life. With Maggie O'Farrell's signature lyrical prose, this story may captivate those who appreciate nuanced storytelling and a deep dive into a richly atmospheric world.

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Set at the heart of the treacherous political world of the Italian Renaissance, this is the masterful story of a young woman's battle for her very survival, written with all the drama and verve that made HAMNET an international bestseller.

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
I thought I had made myself clear. I want something that conveys her majesty, her bloodline. Do you understand? She is no ordinary mortal. Treat her thus.

Florence, the 1560s. Lucrezia, third daughter of Cosimo de' Medici, is free to wander the palazzo at will, wondering at its treasures and observing its clandestine workings. But when her older sister dies on the eve of marriage to Alfonso d'Este, 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 to accept on her behalf.

Having barely left girlhood, Lucrezia must now make her way in a troubled court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate he appears 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 uncomfortable finery for the painting which is 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 Ferrarese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, her future hangs entirely in the balance.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell is praised for its evocative and spellbinding narrative, vividly bringing 16th-century Italy to life. Critics highlight O'Farrell's exquisite writing, which skilfully explores themes of women's captivity, creativity, and rebellion. The novel delivers an engaging simplicity while remaining finely written and imaginatively constructed, solidifying O'Farrell's reputation as an outstanding and immersive storyteller.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781472223852

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 August 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Tinder Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 38.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 232.0mm

Weight: 666g

Pages: 448

Collections

Arts & Culture Best Sellers at Book Hero Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Literary Fiction Maggie O'Farrell New Release Fiction

About the Author

Maggie O'Farrell is the author of HAMNET, Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020, and the memoir I AM, I AM, I AM, both Sunday Times no. 1 bestsellers. Her novels include AFTER YOU'D GONE, MY LOVER'S LOVER, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, which won a Somerset Maugham Award, THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX, THE HAND THAT FIRST HELD MINE, which won the 2010 Costa Novel Award, INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HEATWAVE, THIS MUST BE THE PLACE and THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT, which was shortlisted for the Women's Prize. She is also the author of two books for children, WHERE SNOW ANGELS GO and THE BOY WHO LOST HIS SPARK. She lives in Edinburgh.

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