Lucrezia’s husband is planning to murder her – what can she do about it? This book is a compelling dive into the personal and political world of 15th-century Florentine royalty. It’s a fictionalised account of a real troubled marriage, with vividly-drawn characters and relationships. I enjoyed reading it even though I found the ending somewhat unsatisfying.
Lucrezia is a young princess in 15th-century Florence, recently married to a powerful duke. He’s mostly about as kind and considerate as a 15th-century duke could possibly be, but he does occasionally reveal a terrifying ruthless streak. They’ve failed to produce an heir, and she has realised that he intends to dispose of her and try with someone else. So things look grim.
Most of the book tells stories of Lucrezia’s life leading up to this point, from her conception through her childhood to her wedding (she’s really still a child even then). These are intercut with her more recent dealings with her Machiavellian husband and his entourage. There is a lot about the setting, in a completely alien world of European royalty hundreds of years ago.
Lucrezia is very perceptive and also turns out to be a very talented painter. We get quite a lot of her inner life – I like her as a main character. She is a free spirit but has minimal leeway in her social role. Fortunately she does meet some sympathetic people who are able to help her in various ways. The interactions between people often leave a lot unspoken. Sometimes I frustratedly wished characters would just say what they thought rather than rely on a significant look or a subtle gesture. But I suppose in their world where social protocol is everything, sometimes that’s the only option.
All this comes into play when things come to a head and it looks as if she may be able to escape her murderous husband, with the indirect help of the marriage portrait of the title. And the ending is… well, if the ideal ending is where the protagonist wins, the other good guys also prevail, and the bad guys get their just deserts, then this ending is not ideal.