Book
The marriage portrait / Maggie O'Farrell.
Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: a duke is quick to request her hand in marriage. 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. In the court's eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, the new duchess' future hangs entirely in the balance.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781039005631 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 339 pages ; 25 cm
- Publisher: Toronto, ON : Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2022.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Originally published: London : Tinder Press, 2022. |
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Biographical fiction. Historical fiction. Novels. |
Available copies
- 1 of 2 copies available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 1 current hold with 2 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookstown Branch | FIC OFarr | 31681010291136 | FICTION | Available | - |
| Lakeshore Branch | FIC OFarr | 31681010291128 | FICTION | In transit | - |
- Random House, Inc.
REESEâS BOOK CLUB DECEMBER PICK
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The author of award-winning Hamnet brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici as she makes her way in a troubled court.
âI could not stop reading this incredible true story.â âReese Witherspoon (Reeseâs Book Club December â22 Pick)
"OâFarrell pulls out little threads of historical detail to weave this story of a precocious girl sensitive to the contradictions of her station ... You may know the history, and you may think you know whatâs coming, but donât be so sure."Â âThe Washington Post
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 courtâs 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 duchessâs future hangs entirely in the balance.
Full of the drama and verve with which she illuminated the Shakespearean canvas of Hamnet, Maggie OâFarrell brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life, and offers an unforgettable portrait of a resilient young womanâs battle for her very survival.
