Advance Readers Edition.

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The Marriage of Opposites
Author: Alice Hoffman

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Museum of Extraordinary Things: a forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas 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 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.

Building on the triumphs of The Dovekeepers and The Museum of Extraordinary Things, set in a world of almost unimaginable beauty, The Marriage of Opposites showcases the beloved, bestselling Alice Hoffman at the height of her considerable powers. Once forgotten to history, the marriage of Rachel and Frédérick is a story that is as unforgettable as it is remarkable.

This novel was based on the life of the impressionist artist Camille Pissarro's mother, Rachel, and her life on the island of St. Thomas (now the U.S. Virgin Islands) in the West Indies. The island was a refuge for a community of Jews who escaped from the European Inquisition. Rachel yearned to leave the island and travel to France but fate kept her there until late in life. She was married off to a widower with three children when she was quite young to save her father's business. When her husband dies, she falls for a much younger nephew of her husband, Frederic Pizzarro, who comes from France to run the business. But since she is related to the young nephew through marriage, the Jewish community frowns on her union with him and she and her family are ostracized from the Jewish community for many years. She has several children with Frederic including her favorite Jacobo Camille, who becomes the famous artist. Rachel is also best friends with Jestine, of African descent, who is in love with an adopted cousin of Rachel's and whose young daughter is ultimately abducted and taken to France. The novel does also tell the story of Camille and how he struggled to become an artist even though his family wanted him to stay in the family business.



This novel is full of heartbreak within the Pizzarro family and it shows vividly how traditions and rules within a society often translate into cruelty. This is especially true for the relationships between the whites and those of African descent. I have read a couple of other novels by Hoffman and overall would recommend this one and will be reading more of her work.

Sending to dabercro in Utah...selected from the General Lit VBB. Enjoy!

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I enjoyed this book. I would recommend reading this. The previous journaler gave a great synopsis of the book. I don't feel I can add anything.

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Released outside. Please enjoy!