The Portrait
Fiction
Pegasus Books
January 5, 2021
Hardcover
432
Free from publisher
An internationally renowned writer, Valeria Costas has dedicated her life to her work and to her secret lover, Martìn Acla, a prominent businessman. When his sudden stroke makes headlines, her world implodes; the idea of losing him is terrifying. Desperate to find a way to be present during her lover's final days, Valeria commissions his artist wife, Isla, to paint her portrait—insinuating herself into Martìn's family home and life.
In the grand, chaotic London mansion where the man they share—husband, father, lover—lies in a coma, Valeria and Isla remain poised on the brink, transfixed by one another. Day after day, the two women talk to each other during the sittings, revealing truths, fragilities and strengths. But does Isla know of the writer's long involvement with Martìn? Does Valeria grasp the secrets that Isla harbors? Amidst their own private turmoil, the stories of their lives are exchanged, and as the portrait takes shape, we watch these complex and extraordinary women struggle while the love of their lives departs, in an unforgettable, breathless tale of deception and mystery that captivates until the very end.
My review:
3.5 stars
I was intrigued by this book for many reasons. First, the main protagonist is a woman in her mid 50's, so rare for books unless put there as the secondary character mother figure. Second, she is a writer, and the other main character an artist, perfect combination. Third, both women have been with the same man for over twenty years. I just had to find out more!
Another character driven novel, this one dives deep into the lives of both Valeria and Isla as they await the fate of their common lover/husband Martin. The question hanging over the story is did Isla know her husband was seeing another woman for years, and if so, is there any way she knows who that woman is? The characters were so well drawn in this book, despite some problems I had with the writing (details to come). This is definitely not a fast moving story, we get to explore the daily portrait sittings as Valeria finds out more about Martin's wife and family, and both Valeria and Isla tell things about themselves they've never shared. The ending was absolutely perfect, one of the better endings to a book I've read!
My issue with this book was that the writing was not always cohesive. You could tell that this is the first book written in English by this Italian author, and I wish that someone could have edited it better so that the story and well crafted characters had a better flow. It definitely broke up the lyrical writing and descriptions.
Obviously this book is about a long term affair, so trigger warning if that is something that bothers you in books. Otherwise, I urge you to try this lovely portrait (no pun intended) of two women bound to the same man, and the bond they form with each other.
