The Marriage Portrait
the Instant Sunday Times Bestseller, Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Headline Publishing Group
Published:6th Jul '23
Should be back in stock very soon
In The Marriage Portrait, a young duchess faces a life-threatening situation as her husband reveals his deadly intentions, forcing her to fight for survival.
Set against the backdrop of the perilous political landscape of the Italian Renaissance, The Marriage Portrait tells the gripping tale of a young woman’s fight for survival. Lucrezia, the Duchess of Ferrara, finds herself in a precarious situation when her husband, Alfonso, takes her to a secluded villa. What begins as a seemingly innocent outing quickly turns into a harrowing realization for Lucrezia: Alfonso has sinister intentions, and she is in grave danger. At just sixteen years old, Lucrezia has lived a sheltered life within the opulent walls of Florence's grandest palazzo, but now she must confront the terrifying reality of her circumstances.
As the story unfolds, Lucrezia grapples with the daunting challenge of outsmarting her increasingly unstable husband. The tension escalates as she navigates the complexities of power, vulnerability, and the desperate need for survival. With her life hanging in the balance, Lucrezia must rely on her wits and resilience to escape the deadly grip of her husband, who is not only a trained soldier but also a ruler with authority.
The Marriage Portrait is a masterful reimagining of a young woman's life, showcasing how her proximity to power becomes a double-edged sword. Through evocative prose and rich historical detail, the narrative immerses readers in Lucrezia's world, making her struggle both poignant and relatable. The novel explores themes of agency, courage, and the lengths one will go to in order to survive against overwhelming odds.
Every bit as evocative and spellbinding as Hamnet. O'Farrell, thank God, just seems to be getting better and better . . . O'Farrell's writing is so vivid it melts away the time and space between now and 16th-century Italy . . . With The Marriage Portrait, then, O'Farrell hasn't just produced another magnificently transporting page-turner. She has given us an exhilarating, devastating look at women's captivity, creativity and ultimately, rebellion in a world run by some very cruel men * i newspaper *
Finely written and vividly imagined, it is far from being simplistic, but there is an engaging simplicity to it . . . a very good one to be read, as publishers used to say, by "children of all ages" * Guardian Book of the Day *
In O'Farrell's hands, historical detail comes alive . . . evocative, moving and sensitively rendered * Spectator *
O'Farrell is simply outstanding * Guardian *
Her writing is exquisite. Immersive and compelling * Marian Keyes *
An extraordinary writer with a profound understanding of the most elemental human bonds * Observer *
One of the most exciting novelists alive * Washington Post *
Ingenious, inventive, humane, wry, truthful . . . better than her last novel * Scotsman *
Her narrative enchantment will wrest suspense and surprise out of a death foretold * Financial Times *
ISBN: 9781472223883
Dimensions: 196mm x 128mm x 38mm
Weight: 388g
448 pages