I loved Maggie O’Farrell’s book Hamnet so I was eager to read her newest THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT. I was ready to be swept away to 1550s Renaissance Italy with Maggie’s melodic writing. When I first started the book I was frustrated because we learn right away the main character, Lucrezia dies within a year of when the story starts. But I couldn’t help wanting to know what happened that year. At the age of 13 she is betrothed to the Duke of Ferrara, but her nursemaid Sophia delays the marriage until she is 15 years old. Within a year of her marriage, she dies under suspicious circumstances. She loves to paint and has been able to pursue oil painting since she is the daughter of a duke. Hearing the interior thoughts and fears of Lucrezia trying to figure out how to avoid being killed by her husband was so disturbing. Maggie’s lyrical writing made it even more creepy because of the juxtaposition of sweet words with impending doom. I’m looking forward to her next book.
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