The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell
“The Marriage Portrait” is an imaginative work of historical fiction set in Renaissance Italy.
Author Maggie O’Farrell takes scant details about the life of Lucrezia di Cosimo de’Medici d’Este, Duchess of Ferrara, and her relationship with her husband, the Duke of Ferrara, to craft a harrowing tale about the power dynamics and the dangers that women faced in 16th century Italy.
After the tragic death of her older sister, Lucrezia is thrust into a rushed marriage with the Duke. Faced with prematurely navigating the liminal space between girlhood and adulthood, and adjusting to the life of a new noble home, she must face this ultimate question: Is her husband a caring and doting man, or is he trying to kill her? (Historical footnotes at the end of the book show that this was not an uncommon occurrence.) Lucrezia learns her value and security ultimately depend upon her ability, or inability, to provide an heir.
O’Farrell’s florid writing conveys a harrowing and heart wrenching story, a bit reminiscent of her previous work, “Hamnet.” True to its historical sources, “The Marriage Portrait” is tragic yet suspensefully alluring. Ultimately, it is a window into a world foreign to modern day, although the reader may find familiarity in the harm caused by power.
“The Marriage Portrait” should appeal to readers of historical fiction, literary works and tragic tales. Visit wcls.org to find “The Marriage Portrait” and other similarly themed stories.
“The Marriage Portrait” is the August selection for the Blaine Books and Bites book group. Join Books and Bites at Blaine Public Library at 1 p.m. Friday, August 16, 2024 for a time of community and lively conversation.
Reviewed by Jonathan Jakobitz, Blaine Library branch manager, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in The Northern Light, Wednesday, August 7, 2024.)