The Marriage Portrait

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / O'Farrell, Maggie, Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	Reshelving
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	Due 05-21-2024
Malletts Adult Books 2-week checkout	Express Shelf Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	2-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 2-week checkout	Express Shelf Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	2-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 2-week checkout	Express Shelf Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	2-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 1st Floor 2-week checkout	Express Shelf Fiction / O'Farrell, Maggie	2-week checkout	Due 04-27-2024
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	Due 05-16-2024
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	Due 05-11-2024
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	Due 05-09-2024
Traverwood Adult Books 2-week checkout	Express Shelf Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	2-week checkout	Due 05-05-2024
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	Due 05-23-2024
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / O'Farrell, Maggie	4-week checkout	Due 05-24-2024

"A Borzoi book"--Title page verso.
"A novel set in Renaissance Italy, and centering on the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici"-- Provided by publisher.
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 to devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Moderna and Regio, 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 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 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.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Historical Fiction with imaginative details submitted by kath on June 24, 2023, 11:34am this book takes off from a real portrait a Medici and is based on historical relationships in florence/spain in 1550s. I found myself looking up so much to see what was and wasn't true. The story is engaging.

Entertaining submitted by pratibhamahesh on July 19, 2023, 10:47am This book was engaging and kept me wanting to read till the end. Though the beginning was a drag, it was interesting to visualize Italy in that period of time.

History Come Alive submitted by adimarzo on July 28, 2023, 6:58pm As with her previous book, "Hamnet," the author makes scenes and characters from long ago centuries come alive on the page. Lucrezia is the heart of this book and she is crafted with such tenderness and spirit. The way the timeline jumps back and forth draws out the tension and mystery of historically-based events.

Good Book - Interesting submitted by denisemw on August 10, 2023, 9:06am I had not read a book by this author before. This was good - interesting characters and as another reviewer states, enlightening to read about Italy in the period. I thought it started slow, then became more of a page turner. If you like historical novels with a strong woman as the central character, I think you will enjoy it.

Clever riff on a famous poem submitted by skfitzsimons on August 23, 2023, 12:10pm This novel featuring the backstory behind the famous poem "My Last Duchess" is a poetic, feminist glimpse into Renaissance Italy with a satisfying twist at the end.