Set in the mid-sixteenth century, The Marriage Portrait is historical literary fiction based on the short life of Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici, the young, headstrong daughter of the Duke of Florence. The historical note at the beginning of the novel tells us that Lucrezia married Duke Alfonso of Ferrara at age 15 and was dead within the year, possibly murdered by her husband. Told in alternating timelines, we see Lucrezia grow up in Florence’s grand palace and become engaged to the Duke of Ferrara in the main timeline. The second timeline covers one 24-hour period in 1561. Lucrezia and her husband arrive at a fortress in the countryside, and Lucrezia becomes convinced that her husband is going to murder her. Despite knowing that Lucrezia dies at age 16, Maggie O’Farrell manages to create plenty of suspense and a sense of hope. Lucrezia grows from a strong-willed child who sneaks about the palace at night to see the tiger her father imported from Asia to a talented artist who is constrained by a patriarchal society.

I loved this novel so much! O’Farrell paints a vivid picture of one young woman’s life in Renaissance Italy and I just didn’t want the story to end. I had the best conversations with my husband about this time period as I puzzled through what was happening and where I thought the story was going. If you liked Hamnet, you'll definitely want to grab a copy of The Marriage Portrait!

Writing: 5/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 4/5

Renaissance Italy brought to life with stunningly sensual (as in all of the senses) language. 15-year old Lucrezia do Cosimo de Medici of Florence is given in marriage to the older (but handsome and charming) new Duke of Ferrara as a replacement for her recently deceased elder sister. An unusual and high spirited girl, we experience her removal to a new land where she must learn to navigate an unfamiliar court and language and meet the expectations of a changeable husband intent on begetting an heir. Lucrezia is a surprisingly talented artist with an artist’s way of viewing the world, and this — coupled with her youth — gives an unusual perspective to her first person descriptions of what she experiences. This individualized viewpoint was my favorite part of the book.

The writing is lush and almost too persuasive and richly drawn, as I found I didn’t want to experience her life quite that vividly. This was not a time period favorable to women, particularly women serving as pawns in the power machinations of Renaissance Italy.

The story is loosely based on a real person — the wikipedia entry is interesting, but don’t read it until after you’ve finished the book!