Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

I come to you all with good intentions, to be consistent with posting and reviewing but health issues can truly derail a person. Good news, my referrals were finally put in for MRIs (brain and spine) so I hope to have answers soon.

In other news, my son’s job on the reservation had to be cut short. Toxicity in the workplace cannot be ignored. Once again he is seeking employment and perhaps a new direction. In his down time he created a non-profit that combats graffiti with urban art done by local artists.

Right Now:

I have student ministry this morning and will be working on a message for November later. My brain has to go through this “gathering” phase and then the inspiration pours out.

This Week:

Let me just say that Halloween should always be on a Saturday. Tuesday is just not acceptable. The traffic just to get home from work will be a nightmare. I’ll be lucky if I can get home before the first trick or treaters arrives! Plus, cooking dinner. The wait times for delivery or takeout are brutal on Halloween. I will probably throw something in the Crockpot.

Reading:

I heard about a re-telling of 1984 titled Julia. I’m intrigued. I just added it to my Kindle.

Watching:

We were in the mood to watch a spooky movie so we tried the remake of Friday the 13th. Oh boy. It was not good. Honestly, the original is not great either but I guess I prefer the campy-ness of it.

Listen, you all have a really good week. I hope to get those MRI appointments made this week. I am trying to remain hopeful but it’s alarming to be able to walk one minute, and then a few moments later be completely unable to control your legs. Pray for me, please. Wish me luck. Think positive thoughts. I appreciate it.

The Marriage Portrait
By Maggie O’Farrell
Vintage Books, 9780593315088. July 2023, 352 pp.

The Short of It:

Marriage can be hard, especially when your husband wants you dead.

The Rest of It:

Florence in the 1550s. Marriages are carefully arranged to preserve
status, to guarantee the continuance of the family line, and sometimes, attraction is taken into consideration. But in The Marriage Portrait, young Lucrezia stands in for her sister who passed away right before her wedding. Lucrezia is just a child. Far too young to be married so her nurse manages to delay their joining for a short while, but Lucrezia doesn’t want anything to do with any of it. She just wants to roam her childhood home, drawing and painting her natural surroundings.

As much as she fights it, her parents fully support the union and what it will mean for their family. Lucrezia is young but once she becomes a woman, she should be able to produce many heirs which is what her future husband Alfonso is counting on. But we learn very early on that Lucrezia will not survive this marriage and what unfolds is an unputdownable story.

I enjoyed O’Farrell’s previous book, Hamnet so when it came time to choose another book for book club I chose The Marriage Portrait and it did not disappoint. It’s full of beautiful passages, and centers itself around art and beauty, even with the threat of something darker lurking in the background. The characters are well-developed and although the story is based on true events, O’Farrell gives Lucrezia the ending that she wants her to have. It’s very well done and now I’ve added all of O’Farrell’s books to my Libby list.

Highly recommend.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Chatting with friends about books and life…