“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, … 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, Frederick, 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 Frederick “will only renew your commitment to Hoffman’s astonishing storytelling” (USA TODAY).more
Beautifully written based on real people. Wonderful characters and strong women.
Alice Hoffman’s novels are always engaging and fresh in their point of view. The Marriage of Opposites is a family history built on the tensions between the imperatives of profound love vs. the surrounding biases on the island of St. Thomas. As with much of her work there are touches of magical elements but the core of the story is the power of desire, the demands of the heart.
This is my favorite book from Alice Hoffman. I am a big fan of hers but I rate this book her best ever.
Good story
Alice Hoffman, the author, is in a class by herself! I have read nearly all of her books and find myself blown away with each of them. I think that this particular book would appeal to men as well as women. Funny thing is I read it first years ago and a friend recently recommended it and I had forgotten that I had already read it until I was pages into it again! If you haven’t read any of Alice Hoffman books, start now!
Great characters and story. Loved the strength of the main character.
Just barely 4 stars. I have never been disappointed in an Alice Hoffman book – though this one came close. Like her other books, the prose of The Marriage of Opposites is beautiful. But there was also something not quite satisfactory to me in the structure of the novel.
The marriage referenced in the title is between the parents of Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro, who live their lives primarily on the island of St. Thomas and a bit, near the end, in Paris. They flaunt society’s rules in order to pursue their passion for one another, despite the implications for their children. Pissarro’s mother in particular is a formidable person, clever and independent compared with most women of the mid 1880s.
Hoffman adheres to the known facts of Pissarro’s parents’ lives but also introduces a rich cast of fictitious characters who add great dimension to the book. And through them, Hoffman captures a lot of cultural variety from the period, like the island’s mystique, the sensitive issues of cross-racial romance, and the tightly knit Jewish community that included Pissarro’s family.
I think what was difficult for me is Hoffman’s changing of voice throughout the book. Some sections are first person, others not. One chapter focuses on one character and the next on a different one. The pace also feels uneven. Sometimes the story feels rich and complex. And other parts feel superficial. Still, I’m glad I read it and it did send me off to the Internet to research Pissarro’s life. So it definitely sparked a new interest.
SET IN ST THOMAS, VIRGIN ISLANDS, IT TELLS THE STRANGE LIFE STORY OF CAMILLE PISARRO, A WORLD FAMOUS ARTIST. AS A RESIDENT. I WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY STREETS, HOMES, CHARACTERS. THERE IS A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT THE ISLAND AND OTHER EXOTIC PLACES SET IN THE STORY. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PISARRO AND HIS LOVER/WIFE IS COMPELLING WITH UNEXPECTED TURNS.
Fantastic historical novel based on Pissarro’s life. Lots of info on St. Thomas, the Jewish community there, Pisarro’s life, great love story. It has everything.
One of her best! Fantastic historical novel with great character development
This is the first work of Alice Hoffman’s that I have read and I enjoyed it. I only glanced at the back cover – and I am glad, because it revealed plot details that I was happy not to know before I started reading. Rachel is a wonderful strong woman character, and when we first meet her she is a feisty young girl standing up to her mother, and determined to find her own voice. She agrees to the arranged marriage that her father sets up for her, and does her duty by him, but later rebels against all the expectations of the community and follows her heart, and finds true love. What makes this story different and interesting, however, is that later on in life she changes again and becomes more of a woman in her mother’s image. The details about life on the island of St. Thomas in the 19th century, and the Jewish community there, were fascinating, and I loved the gradual emergence of the secondary story, the early life of the Impressionist painter Pissarro. After I had finished the novel, I went to an art exhibition which included mention of Pissarro, and I thought “I know him!” which was fun. The final section of the novel, set in Paris, seemed less well developed to me, as if it had been rushed. But I did like the ending, and the life-long friendship between Rachel and Jestine is very sweet.
This was a great read, educational, historically correct. Deep.
I started reading this book with no idea it was going to be about the artist Camille Pissaro. I absolutely loved the teeming tropical island setting, full of ghosts and spirits, potions and spells and set against this background the community of Jews with their strict laws and codes of behaviour and their Danish and French heritage. Add in the still present shame of slavery, the perils of weather that could destroy a man’s fortune overnight along with his ships en route to the secessionist states of pre civil war America and there is a rich and fecund mix to build upon. The first part of the book focuses on the childhood and first marriage of Camille’s mother, Rachel, a wild rebel child who loves books and longs to be in Paris. Often her own worst enemy, Rachel embraces motherhood with dedication but after the death of her older widowed husband, the love and passion she finds with her late husband’s nephew pits her against the entire community.
Most of the later part of the book is set in Paris – a perfect contrast to St Thomas – but also vividly evoked on the page.
I really wallowed in this book and was sorry to finish it
Alice Hoffman is an amazing author. I particularly liked this book. Her wonderful description of the tropical island St Thomas together with the struggles of its inhabitants in the nineteenth century completely transported me as I got more and more absorbed into the book
Haven’t finished yet but I’m really enjoying. Somewhat historical interesting.
Alice Hoffman is a good writer and her skill shows in this book. Still, I found the premise and its exploration to be a little clunky and obvious. I learned new things about the Caribbean culture where much of the book takes place. I also enjoyed the ‘almost’ surprise of the book’s grounding in the real family history of impressionist Pissarro.
A wonderful story with intriguing wonderful characters and vivid settings.
Truly one of her best works and all her material is great!
This is one of those books in which the push and pull tension that surrounds the story keeps the reader adrift; unsure how to view the characters and their actions. It is one of the books in which you come to disagree with “The Truth Will Set You Free” theory of living because often, as this book screams, the truth will also chain you to archaic rules, guilt, pride and unnecessary stubbornness. Hoffman’s story is like a Pissarro; distorted, somewhat muddled and overwhelming placing those things that are plainly visible along side those things that have no true meaning. You see what you want to see in a Pissarro; the same with this book. A very interesting and thoughtful read.
This story was based on true events, it’s about the family of a very successful and original artist. The history of his family was unique and extremely interesting. The island was discribed in a lifelike manner, the people very believable. Would have liked to have known more about the siblings, but appreciate that information may be limited. After reading this book have read another Alice Hoffman novel and have bought a third