The Marriage Portrait

Marriage was her destiny. Now she must survive it.

The breathtaking new novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of Hamnet, winner
of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020.

**AS SELECTED FOR BBC RADIO 2 BOOKCLUB**

'O'Farrell is simply outstanding' Guardian
'Her writing is exquisite. Immersive and compelling' Marian Keyes

The Marriage Portrait is a dazzling evocation of the Italian Renaissance in
all its beauty and brutality.

Winter, 1561. Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara, is taken on an unexpected visit to
a country villa by her husband, Alfonso. As they sit down to dinner it occurs
to Lucrezia that Alfonso has a sinister purpose in bringing her here. He
intends to kill her.

Lucrezia is sixteen years old, and has led a sheltered life locked away inside
Florence's grandest palazzo. Here, in this remote villa, she is entirely at
the mercy of her increasingly erratic husband.

What is Lucrezia to do with this sudden knowledge? What chance does she have
against Alfonso, ruler of a province, and a trained soldier? How can she
ensure her survival.

The Marriage Portrait is an unforgettable reimagining of the life of a young
woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger.