The back-and-forth timeline builds a sense of inevitable tragedy while celebrating the vibrance of Lucrezia’s spirit.

The novel begins in 1561 at a remote hunting lodge. Lucrezia, only sixteen, realizes her husband, Alfonso II d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, intends to kill her. The narrative then jumps back in time to her childhood in Florence, tracing the events that led to her rushed marriage and her current predicament. Key Highlights

Lucrezia is portrayed as a sensitive, observant girl who feels out of place in her rigid environment.

O’Farrell uses sensory-rich language to bring the Renaissance to life, from the texture of heavy silks to the smell of oil paints.

Maggie O’Farrell’s The Marriage Portrait (Spanish title: El Retrato de Casada ) is a vivid, immersive historical novel that reimagines the short life of Lucrezia de’ Medici in 16th-century Italy. If you are looking for an epub version, here is what you should know about the story and its themes. The Premise