Who Would Like This Book:
Step into the lush, sun-soaked world of 19th-century St. Thomas with Alice Hoffman's beautifully descriptive storytelling. "The Marriage of Opposites" brings together history, family drama, forbidden love, and a strong, unconventional heroine at its center. The book weaves magical realism and vivid folklore into real historical events - especially appealing for fans of rich historical fiction, art history aficionados (hello, Impressionist fans!), and readers who love stories about resilient women pushing against the boundaries of their time.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers felt the pacing dragged at times, especially in the latter half, or found the main character, Rachel, difficult to like. Others wished for more focus on Camille Pissarro himself, rather than his mother. If you prefer tightly factual biographies or have little patience for a story that blends historical fact with invention and magical realism, this one might not hit the mark for you.
About:
The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman is a historical fiction novel that follows the life of Rachel Pissarro, the mother of renowned Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. Set in the 1800s on the tropical island of St. Thomas, the story revolves around Rachel's unconventional life choices, forbidden love affairs, and struggles against societal norms and prejudices. Through multiple generations, the book explores themes of love, family dynamics, discrimination, and the pursuit of one's dreams, while providing a vivid portrayal of the settings in St. Thomas and Paris.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of sexism, racism, arranged marriages, and the emotional turmoil resulting from love and social stigma.
Has Romance?
The romance between Rachel and Frederick is intense and central to the narrative, illustrating themes of love that defy societal norms.
From The Publisher:
"A luminous, Marquez-esque tale" (O, The Oprah Magazine) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Museum of Extraordinary Things: a forbidden love story set on a tropical island about the extraordinary woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarro-the Father of Impressionism.
Growing up on idyllic St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their small refugee community of Jews who escaped the Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for being a difficult girl who refuses to live by the rules. Growing up, Rachel's salvation is their maid Adelle's belief in her strengths, and her deep, life-long friendship with Jestine, Adelle's daughter. But Rachel's life is not her own. She is married off to a widower with three children to save her father's business. When her older husband dies suddenly and his handsome, much younger nephew, Frédérick, arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes her own life story, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal that affects all of her family, including her favorite son, who will become one of the greatest artists of France.
"A work of art" (Dallas Morning News), The Marriage of Opposites showcases the beloved, bestselling Alice Hoffman at the height of her considerable powers. "Her lush, seductive prose, and heart-pounding subject…make this latest skinny-dip in enchanted realism…the Platonic ideal of the beach read" (Slate.com). Once forgotten to history, the marriage of Rachel and Frédérick "will only renew your commitment to Hoffman's astonishing storytelling" (USA TODAY).
Ratings (11)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (9) | |
Liked It (1) |
Reader Stats (23):
Read It (11) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (8) | |
Not Interested (3) |
1 comment(s)
Hoffman's dreamlike prose lends itself well to this tale set on the island of St. Thomas, where the heat is so heavy and thick Frenchwomen in traditional clothing faint. Although Camille Pissaro is the most important historical figure here, we see him as he is shaped by his mother and her childhood. Rachel is an intense woman, who marries once for business and once for love, the second time against her community's taboos and laws. However, she can't bring herself to let Camille go his own way as she went hers; she feels he must dedicate himself to the family business rather than his passion, painting.
There is no single marriage of opposites here; instead, Hoffman shows us the blending of Dutch colonial, French, Jewish, and African heritages on the island. There is slavery, but friendships and love between slave and master. The Jews of St. Thomas are very concerned with keeping their community squeaky clean, but underneath the surface people are not what they seem: babies are abandoned and given to new families, children are raised in the wrong homes, sometimes even stolen away. And ultimately those who appear to be opposite are only too much alike.
What can you read after
The Marriage of Opposites?
About the Author:
Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including Magic Lessons, The World That We Knew, Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic, the Oprah's Book Club selection Here on Earth, The Red Garden, The Dovekeepers, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The Marriage of Opposites, and Faithful. She lives near Boston.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
