THE MARRIAGE OF OPPOSITES
by Alice Hoffman
I know I review a lot of historical fiction, and I am currently pushing myself to read The Emperor of All Maladies (a tome about cancer) because I couldn’t remember the last non-fiction, non-memoir I had read. However, I couldn’t notreview The Marriage of Opposites, because I LOVED it!
Based on a true story (I wont tell you more than that, it’s a nice surprise near the end), this novel is set on the island of St. Thomas, and later, in Paris. It spans almost a century, following Rachel from her girlhood to the end of her long life. About halfway through, her son Jacobo becomes a second protagonist and we follow his story for quite some time. The family is part of a small Jewish community on St. Thomas, and they run a shipping business and later a store.
The central struggle for both Rachel and Jacobo is the desire to travel, live an artistic life, and not be tied to the expectations of their parents and society. I love the way Hoffman is able to conjure the island setting so vividly and also weave in many stories and legends so that you can sense the magic in the lives of all the characters. These moments never felt like superstition, they were real forces acting on the plot.
Romance also plays a big part in Rachel’s story, as well as that of her best friend Jestine. It makes this book delightfully juicy and fun to read. I pretty much swallowedThe Marriage of Opposites whole, and I think if you are looking to escape this winter, St. Thomas might just be the place for you! (Lily)
