We were delighted to announce that Maggie O’Farrell, would be with us on Wed 7th September, to talk about her new novel, The Marriage Portrait.

Maggie is a truly outstanding writer, much beloved at Mainstreet, here is a taste of her new book…

Florence, the 1560s. Lucrezia, third daughter of Cosimo de’ Medici, 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 marriage to Alfonso d’Este, ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father 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.

With the drama and verve with which she illuminated the Shakespearean canvas of Hamnet (winner of the Woman’s Prize for Fiction in 2020), Maggie O’Farrell brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life and offers an unforgettable portrait of a resilient young woman’s battle for her very survival.

Buy The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell HERE