THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT

by Maggie O'Farrell

With elegant prose and well sketched characters, Maggie O’Farrell immerses us in the Royal Courts of Renaissance Italy. We follow the journey of Lucrezia from childhood in her family palazza in Florence through to her first year of marriage, aged 15 years to Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. We experience the manipulations and challenges faced by the vulnerable Lucrezia and the personal strengths she draws on. Echoes from this 16th Century setting resonate with the power imbalance women in complex political settings still face today.​

- Reviewed by Carolyn (loyalty customer)

More historical fiction to get lost in . . .