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    The Marriage of Opposites
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    The Marriage of Opposites
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    The Marriage of Opposites
    Ebook459 pages8 hours

    The Marriage of Opposites

    By Alice Hoffman

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    From the bestselling author of The Dovekeepers comes a love story about one of history's most captivating 'invisible' women: Rachel, the mother of Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro.

    Growing up on the idyllic island of St Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their tight-knit refugee community of Jews who escaped the European Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for refusing to live by the rules. But Rachel's fate is not in her own hands: in order to secure the future of her father's business, she is married off to a widower with three children. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome nephew Frédéric arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes control of her life, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal affecting her entire family, including her favourite son, Camille Pissarro, who will one day become a founder member of the Impressionists and one of history's greatest artists.

    Set in a world of lush, exquisite beauty, The Marriage of Opposites shows Alice Hoffman at the height of her considerable powers. The marriage of Rachel and Frédéric is an unforgettable story of an extraordinary woman and her forbidden love.

    Praise for Alice Hoffman's The Dovekeepers:

    'Beautiful, harrowing . . . A major contribution to twenty-first-century literature' Toni Morrison

    'Hoffman reminds us with every sentence that words have the power to transport us to alternate worlds, to heal a broken heart, and to tie us irrevocably to the people we love' Jodi Picoult

    'A book as monumental as its subject, magical, moving . . . A genuine masterpiece' Daily Mail
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster
    Release dateAug 27, 2015
    ISBN9781471112126
    Author

    Alice Hoffman

    Alice Hoffman is the bestselling author of twenty-one acclaimed novels, including The River King, The Ice Queen, The Third Angel, Here on Earth and Practical Magic (made into a film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman). She currently lives in Boston and New York.

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    Reviews for The Marriage of Opposites

    4.5/5

    31 ratings41 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Hoffman continues to prove she is an adept story teller. From life on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas to Paris, Rachel Pomie, is a strong spokesman for women in the 1800’s. Based on a real person, Hoffman has created more than just a love story, she takes us into the hearts of both owners and slaves as she dissects both the passion and the sadness of what life throws out to you.
    • 5/5
      4 1/2 stars Marriage of Opposites is the first book I’ve read by Alice Hoffman, and it definitely won’t be the last! It is historical fiction about Rachel, the mother of French painter Pizzarro. The majority of the book takes place on the island of St Thomas. Rachel grows up in a very traditional Jewish community that fled to the island to escape persecution in Europe. It’ has love, conflict among the people of st Thomas, the struggles of motherhood. Im looking forward to our book club discussion at work this Thursday.
    • 4/5
      The Marriage of Opposites is more than a love story, I expected a sweet and maybe dark love story, but received so much more. The story focuses on Rachel Pissarro, a rebellious woman in her young days who is a pain in the ass for her mother because she challenges the accepted ways of the Jewish community on St. Thomas. She fights for what she believes in and for her friends and family that have a relationship out of the accepted social norm. She gets married out of practicability, not understanding the fuss over true love and what it is capable of making you do, but this husband dies and she does fall in love with someone that makes the relationship unacceptable within her community. As she gets old Rachel changes and understands the hardships of life and doesn't want her children, especially Camille Pissarro, to go through what she did and she realizes that she is more like her mother than she realized, her mother was trying to prevent the same hardships for her. It's a complicated story with many plots that are interwoven and beautifully written.
    • 4/5
      Rachel Pomie Petit Pizarro is a woman of substance, a force, a fierce mother, and generally over the top making for a very interesting story of her life which happens to be true. I enjoyed the descriptive narrative of the island of St Tomas from the birds to flowers to the heat. Based on real life of the mother of Camille Pissarro.
    • 3/5
      The book is a somewhat interesting biography of Rachel Pissaro. She is th the mother of Camille Pissaro, who is a famous artist. I enjoyed the description of St. Thomas and of Paris. I am not sure that there is a point to the book. I imagine that most people would write a biography on the artist and not his mother. I was disappointed with the superstitions of the main characters but perhaps that is how it was. The racial injustice and sexism was unfortunately accurate. The story reminds me that we did and still do live in a world of ignorance and stupidity. I moderately recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

      Alice Hoffman is one of my absolute favourite authors. How excited was I to get an ARC of this book? I was not disappointed at all; I absolutely love art history being an art history major, and couple this with Hoffman's exquisite writing, I couldn't put the book down and I absolutely loved it!

      Her writing, and descriptions are so beautiful. The way she described his paintings gave them the respect they deserve. Pissarro was after all a founding father of Impressionism, a much loved art period. I don't want to give too much away from the story, this historical fictional account of Rachel was so well done. I love the build of the story, and that Hoffman took the time to develop the characters, and the story all throughout Rachel's life.
    • 4/5
      Well written. Good read. I did not realize that the book is based on true event until the author's note.
    • 3/5
      This highly descriptive, well written book was perhaps a bit too repetitive and too long. For me it was a brushstroke below 4 stars.
    • 4/5
      An very interesting novel about life in 1807 on a Caribbean Island where a group of Jewish immigrants have become a class unto themselves who hold onto all the old ways and a daughter who bucks the system to a point. The daughter does some things the way she is supposed to and others in her own hot blooded way. Her youngest son who is like her in many ways grows up to become the great artist Pizzaro.
    • 5/5
      I really liked this book. Story reminded me of A story Isabelle Allende would write. You eally get a feel and understand the limitations of women and of religion in the 1800th century. The main caracters were very well developed and differend chapters were told from the point of view of different caracters. Many developments and side stories that made far a very interesting read.
    • 4/5
      Rachel is the daughter of a Jewish mercantile family living on Saint Thomas. When her father's business is failing, she is married to an older man to combine the families and the businesses. After his death, a young relative of his comes to St. Thomas, and Rachel learns about love. She has a total of 10 children, one of who grows into the artist Camille Pissarro.
    • 4/5
      Well done story based on historical records and detailing the life of Camille Pissarro, his mother Rachel, and the social issues of being in or out of the Danish Jewish faith in both St. Thomas and France in the 1800's. Camille became one if the best known painters of Impressionism but the book is not really about his painting although it plays an important part. I would give it 4.5 stars. A little long-winded in scene and sentiment development at times. I would love to see this become a movie.
    • 4/5
      I found this book interesting to read based on its fictional account of the family and origin of Camille Pissarro, but it was difficult to follow in places and and seemed disconnected. Still it is a worthwhile read.
    • 5/5
      Beautifully written, rich narrative and strong character development throughout.
    • 5/5
      This is historical fiction at its best. The setting is on the tropical island of St. Thomas in the 19th Century. It's the life story of Impressionist artist, Camille Pissarro's mother, Rachel. Plus we lean about the artist's early childhood on St. Thomas, his years in Paris, and how he got started on his road to fame.I was captivated by this amazing author's ability to research and develop the characters' lives, especially Rachel's, so thoroughly. The climate, colors, and settings on St. Thomas were breathtaking. Having been there 3 years ago, reading this novel made me long for a return trip.Highly recommended with 5 Stars.
    • 4/5
      A special thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

      I fell in love with the synopsis the moment I read it, but since I didn't finish The Museum of Extraordinary Things, I was concerned that I'd be disappointed. I almost didn't request the ARC, but I'm so glad that I did. I loved everything about this novel!

      Here's a brief summary of the novel and none of it is a spoiler. This novel takes place on St. Thomas and Paris in the early 1800's. It follows the life of Rachel, the woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarro, and the struggles she faced growing up on St. Thomas. It's part romance, part historical fiction and rich in culture and island superstitions. Rachel's father marries her off to his business partner, who is a widow with three children, as a way to save his business. When her husband dies suddenly, his Parisian nephew Frederick is left in charge of his estate. He arrives from Paris to settle the estate and falls in love with Rachel. This is where the scandal begins since Frederick is her nephew by marriage and the island sees their relationship as improper. Camille enters the novel a little bit later with his own obstacles and adventures as he fights for a career as an artist. The ending is very appropriate, so you won't be disappointed.

      It's a captivating story with vivid, unforgettable characters. I got completely lost in their lives and I wanted to be there. I loved the descriptions of life on the island as it sounded so scenic and of course life in Paris sounded wonderful. The island food sounded delicious! I wish I had the recipe for a few of the meals they routinely ate. Some of the characters are strong and opinionated, but the novel is written so eloquently that you won't hate any of the characters.

      The writing is so smooth and beautiful that you feel like you’re hearing the characters thoughts instead of feeling like you're reading a novel. The Marriage of Opposites has turned me into a new Alice Hoffman fan. I highly recommend this book, especially to fans of historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      Alice Hoffman is a tremendously popular writer of historical fiction. I first read her book The Dovekeepers and enjoyed it - so I opened this one expecting more of the same. The Marriage of Opposites is the story of Rachel Pomie Petit Pissaro - a young Jewish woman from the island of St. Thomas. As a young teenaged girl, in order to save the family business, she is bartered away into marriage with a much older widower who has three children of his own. She comes to respect her husband and love his children. When he passes away suddenly, Rachel falls in love with his nephew who comes from Paris to take over the running of the business. Although their love is considered scandalous (she being his aunt by marriage) they marry and have several children - one of whom is Camille Pissaro, considered to be the Father of Impressionism and one of France's greatest artists. I wish I had known this in the beginning of the book. I just didn't put 2 and 2 together. Rachel Pissaro's story is an interesting one. It is told from a number of different perspectives - her own, her husband's, her dearest friend's and her son's. Unfortunately, the two books I read just before this one were extraordinarily well written and, as a result, this one suffers a bit for me in comparison. Hoffman's sentences are very wordy (she loves the comma) and sometimes I had to reread a paragraph to be sure who I was reading about.While I enjoyed this book well enough, it probably won't find a permanent place on my bookshelf.
    • 3/5
      This is the second book I've read by Alice Hoffman, much different from the first which was a children's book. "The Marriage of Opposites" is a fictionalized portrait of the painter Camille Pissarro and his mother Rachel Pomie Petit Pizzarro with magical realism added to the mix. At times I was really enamored with the writing, more so in the beginning of Rachel's story. What I like about the book is the beautiful descriptions of St. Thomas and of Rachel's resilient, resolute character from her point of view.

      Later on the magical realism, heavily described setting (in every color of the rainbow and then some), and the sporadic 3rd person sections make the story less effective. I didn't care as much about the other focus of the book, Camille. I found the emphasis on his similarities with Rachel and their relationship with Jestine to be contrived (especially the Jestine thing, considering the reality of the situation). But for a while there I did love how Rachel was brought to life.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed Alice Hoffman's new book. The descriptions of the setting were vibrant and artistic. The characters were flawed, strong, and human. The intertwined stories of the various characters were believable, interesting, and enjoyable. The fact that Rachel and Camille were real people only made it more interesting.
    • 5/5
      I was unsure about this at the beginning but once I was pulled in I throughly enjoyed this historical treatment of the mother of a famous painter. I did not realize it historical fiction until I reached the end! Character depth was beautifully developed in the different family personalities and relationships so much so that I felt I really could see these people and their emotions. The heat and atmosphere of St. Thomas, contrasted with the chill of Paris, were vividly described.
    • 4/5
      I always enjoy Alice Hoffman, but perhaps I was particularly drawn to this book because I had lived in St. Croix, which neighbors St. Thomas, the Caribbean island where the story is set. Jews settled in St. Thomas early in the colonial days and, I believe, hosts its oldest synagogue. Rachel is the daughter of a Jewish merchant who adores her and gives her many of the benefits usually reserved for boys. However, when the family business is at risk, Rachel is married off to her father's business associate and becomes mother to his three children... and then another three... and then... but I wouldn't want to spoil the story. Rachel is willful and fights through many of the prejudices of the tight-knit Jewish community. Some call her a witch. But her favorite son, who is destined to be a great artist, pushes much further to change the social order and the conflicts Rachel felt with her own mother revisit her, with the roles switched. As usual, Hoffman creates a setting full of colorful details and characters you don't want to say goodbye to.
    • 5/5
      Fascinating; well written; feel the heat and cultural influences in St. Thomas; almost ethnography of conflicts in small town or island; skillfully brings in all senses as artistic awareness of Camille Pissaro awakens. Passion vs. arranged marriage; societal expectations vs. desire; responsibility vand obligation vs. talent; tropic island vs. Paris winter
    • 4/5
      Set primarily in St. Thomas during the 1800's The Marriage of Opposites tells the story of Rachel Pomie, a young girl who dreams of Paris and refuses to live by the rules. However, she has no choice but to do so when she is to be married to a widower more than twice her age in order to save her father's business. Rachel becomes a mother to his three young children then goes on to have four of her own, the fourth one born after her husband suddenly dies. Her husband's nephew arrives from France to settle her husband's affairs since women were not allowed to do so. It is then that Rachel falls in love and goes against her family, her religion and the island of St. Thomas to follow her heart and to fight for what she truly wants.

      Some chapters also tell the story of one of her sons from her second marriage - Camille Pissarro, who would one day become a famous painter.

      Often times confusing keeping track of some of Rachel's family, but another well-written and interesting book from Alice Hoffman nonetheless.
    • 4/5
      Rachel Pomie Petit Pizzarro is a headstrong woman living in19th century St. Thomas. Her father marries her off to a widowed business partner, and when he dies, she falls in love with his nephew who comes from France to take over his uncle's business. This causes quite a scandel in the Jewish community, but they are eventually accepted. Most of the book concerns Rachel and her struggles with her community who don't accept her because she is a woman. One of the youngest of her ten children is named Jacobo, who turns out to be a lot like his stubborn mother. He fares poorly in school and in the family business, but he is quite an artist. In fact, he becomes Camille (his middle name) Pissarro, the Impressionist painter, and this book is based on his family's history. In the mid-1800s, with the American Civil War destroying shipping and business in the West Indies, they move to France, where Rachel struggles to accept her artist son.Good premise for a book, but wow, it moves so slowly!
    • 5/5
      The Good Stuff The perfect book for me, especially after struggling through On the Road Once again Hoffman has created an engrossing story laced through with a hint of magic Has brought to life a relatively unknown (Especially to me) historical character and created a fascinating tale of forbidden love, family, betrayal, art and history Hoffman has a true gift for storytelling, I always become lost in her stories and don't want to put them down. Her words are lyrical and poetic Enjoyed Rachel's love for her father's library and his books - I truly understand Learned a lot about the fascinating history of St Thomas Each and every character felt so very real to me Hoffman's description of St Thomas is so beautiful, I feel the need to jump on a plane and head there right now Will be putting my Staff Pick sticker on it tonight The Not So Good Stuff As always horrified by the prejudice against Jews and the restrictions As a Mom, I really didn't understand Rachel's attitude towards her son and his choices, especially after her childhood. Probably realistic, but it irritated meFavorite Quotes "The colours I used might not have been of this world; instead they showed what lay below the surface of this world, the spark of colour at the deepest core." "Then I understood that when someone begins to tell you her story, you are entwined together." "We're likely to see our children as we wish to, not as they are." "The night world was blue and black; a hot velvet curtain dropped down from the branches of the trees." 4.5 Dewey'sI received this from Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review
    • 5/5
      I began The Marriage of Opposites with no expectations in mind. I had not read this author before or heard of the artist Camille Pissaro, the father of Impressionism.I loved everything about this book. The story takes place on the beautiful island of St. Thomas and tells the story of Rachel, a headstrong, rule-breaking girl who eventually finds herself in a forbidden love affair with a much younger man.The writing was wonderful and the love story swept me away. I so enjoyed that sections of the book are told in the view point of different characters. I thought the whole book would be in Rachel's view, but then it switches to her husband, her son, a friend's daughter...and each section is fascinating as seem through that character. I can't wait to read more by this author. I received a complimentary galley via Netgalley.com.
    • 3/5
      Fictionalized biography of Rachel Monsanto Petit Pizzarro, mother of one of the fathers of Impressionism, Camille Pissarro. Born into a Jewish mercantile family on the island of St. Thomas in the West Indies, Rachel is married to a man twice her age and though she tries to make the best of it, raising this man's children, it is unhappy. Upon his death, she meets his nephew who has come from France to run the family business. She and the nephew fall in love and marry, being ostracized by their Jewish community. Then follows the birth of her children by him, the third son, Camille, showing at an early age, a talent for drawing. He studies painting in Paris. Then the whole family move to Paris. Glorious evocation of both St. Thomas of that period and of Paris. Some of the narrative is in third person but some in the voices of Rachel herself, Camille [my favorite part explaining his love for color and what feelings he wants to express in his paintings] and others. The author has a way with words and is a marvelous storyteller. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      This is the imagined story of Rachel Monsanto Pomie Petit Pizzaro born in 1795 on the island of St Thomas ,Virgin Islands. She married Frederic Pizzaro in 1825 and they became parents of four sons including Jacob Abraham Camille Pizzaro (Pissaro) who grew up to become one of the leading artists of the Impressionist era.Rachel was married at 17, was widowed and then fell in love with Frederic who was her husbands nephew. There love was frowned upon by their Jewish community because of this connection, but it endured for many years until his death in Paris many years later. They went to live in France to be with their only surviving son as he pursued his artistic career.Although the characters in the book are real, the stories of the Pizzaros' West Indian employees, neighbours and friends are invented. The writer gives many details of a very colourful life on the island and paints a wonderful picture of what life could have been like in those colonial times. Her attention to detail is marvellous.I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Alice Hoffman who is one of my favourite writers.
    • 3/5
      Beautiful writing. Living in the semi tropics I loved the description of being engulfed by the spongy air. She said it much more elegantly. Story dragged a bit towards the end. But then picked up when in France. Some of the minor characters were more interesting than the main. The husband Frederick kind of bland but I suppose he was destined to be over shadowed by his bigger than life wife, Rachel.I understand the book is based on historical fact but I did not quite understand why some women, such as her mother and her mother's best friend aka the witch, we're allowed to remain in the homes after their husbands death but Rachel was evicted from hers with her 10 or more children. ...I quite honestly lost count! Hard to believe she only lost 1 child with her many pregnancies. I also was surprised that she, so adept at following her hearts desire fought so hard to deny her son his dreams.
    • 5/5
      "The Marriage of Opposites" is a beautifully written book that delighted me. Each part of the story is masterfully and well written to create a visual and sensory world that the reader could be a part of.The book is centered around a girl and eventual woman named Rachel who grew up in the early 1800's on the island of St. Thomas. Her family was Jewish and a part of a small group of Jews who came to the island to make a new start, free from prejudice and persecution. Rachel's relationship with her family is fiery with constant clashes and misunderstandings between her and her mother. Her closest friend is the maid's beautiful daughter, Jestine. Throughout the book, these two remain friends, disagreements and societal issues not withstanding. There is a beauty in their connection to one another that is a strong thread and a constant throughout the book. This is a friendship that transcends simple friendship, and Alice Hoffman does a wonderful job of giving us a real taste of its special qualities. Each of the girls must let go of their girlhood dreams for the future when society and family interfere, and they each follow duty rather than their hearts, albeit reluctantly. One woman looses the love of her life, and eventually one woman finds hers.For me, the beauty of the story was in the telling. There is an almost magical quality in the setting and time period of this book. It was not always pleasant, but even in the suffering, there seemed to be something special and spiritual about it. The Jewish factor was unique and played a significant role in the life of Rachel and her family. The racial prejudice (both towards the Jews as well as the African slaves and servants) was another factor in the tension of the story that worked well.I received this book as an advanced reader copy through Netgalley, and I didn't known much about the book prior to beginning to read. I was surprised to find out that it was actually a historical fiction account of a real family- that of the famous French impressionist artist, Camille Pissaro. Rachel, who is actually his mother, eventually marries the love of her life after her first arranged marriage ends in the early death of her husband. The young man sent by the family from Paris to take over the family business, is named Pizzaro. He almost immediately falls in love with Rachel, as does she with him. His relationship as a cousin of her deceased husband makes a marriage between them impossible due to the Jewish laws of the island. Love wins out eventually after years of challenging and fighting the established order. Jacob (Camille) is one of the children born to Rachel and Frederik. It wasn't until he is older in the book, as his artist skills and passion become evident as something special, that I made the connection to the name and the real artist.This book tells the story of Camille Pissaro and his family as well a unique experience of people during a distant era. It is accomplished with fascinating details and characters that seem exotic and colorful. I enjoyed reading each page until the very end of the book, and I highly recommend it to serious readers of historic fiction. I thank the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this work.