Review of The Marigold Chemise

[Chinemezu Okafor]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Marigold Chemise" by Sheryl Westergreen.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Marigold Chemise is a fictional story written by Sheryl Westergreen. It was intentionally divided into six parts and written in two hundred and sixty-three (263) pages. It bears its setting in 17th-century Italy and generally centers on arts and fashion.

Sheryl tells the tale of five generations, ranging from their great-great grandparents, The Galvanis, to Maria’s children, James and Laura. The genesis could be traced to two friends, Alessia and Lucida. The former was a painter and the only child of Oravira Salvatori, while the latter was a model and came from a reputable family of The Galvanis. She is the main character of her generation. This was at a time when female painters were not acknowledged, so their paintings were done in secret. Lucida wore the marigold chemise, which boosted her ego in posing seductively for the painting. This was the highlight of the painting, and it became the most sought-after painting because of its anonymous nature. However, when Oravira Salvatori found out about the model for her daughter’s painting and the likelihood of a scandal, she married her off to Pietro in Firenze. Lucida married Niccolo, the son of Bianchi. Fate brings the two friends together with their respective families, and their story continues. The passing down of the marigold chemise and preservation of the paintings were elaborately detailed in this book.

My favorite parts of the story are the setting and the Italian language used in many parts of the story. I have a key interest in the language, so this book was fascinating for me. The author’s descriptive skill was very commendable. It conveyed the intended message excellently, leaving no room for intuition. It was written in simple sentences, which made it very easy to read and understand. The punctuation trend employed was remarkable. It gave no room for ambiguity and the book was exceptionally edited. I particularly liked the intention behind the division of the parts. Each part has an independent story of a particular generation.

The storyline itself was unique. It would be a great story for a Netflix series. It gave an aura of originality as opposed to the fiction that it is. It deserves some accolades. I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Alessia and Lucida. It was so wholesome and inspiring. The story was very encompassing as there were so many themes one could deduce from it, including love, art, fashion, betrayal, murder, greed, and many others. It was a masterpiece.

It was a great story, but I had my criticisms and questions, which were purely objective. There was no story behind the death or disappearance of Luigi Galvani. He was just never mentioned again. The same happened with Maria’s parents, Cristina and Piero. There was inconsistency with the businessman’s name. Sometimes, he was called Signor Ruel and, at other times, addressed as Signor Reda. The same thing happened with Lorenzo Alberti. He was addressed as Lorenzo Alberni. I think these parts should be revisited.

I will rate the book 4 out of 5 stars. My reason for deducting a star is because of the inconsistency with the names in the book. I did not deduct any more stars due to the positive aspects I found.

I will gladly recommend this book to adults who have an interest in the Italian language and history. It is highly recommended to movie producers. It is my firm belief that it will be a major hit in the entertainment industry, and each generation can serve as an episode or season.

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The Marigold Chemise
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[Alex Reeves]

Italy is one marvellous place full of paintings and sculpture. Any book that talks about it is definitely going to get on my bookshelf. Great review.

[Wren Michaels]

Great review. I loved you highlighted elements which would work in other media such as Netflix

[Michael Valentine]

I like the fact that this book isn't long. I would definitely love to read it to learn all that the book entails.

[Mercy Sos Christopher]

I love the storyline and the friendship portrayed in the book, will definitely be a good read for any lazy Sunday evening. Thanks for the review

[ThankGod Onyishi]

The book seems intriguing and I would trust your judgment, especially the fact that you believe the book would make a good movie. I am certainly going to add this to my list for a nice weekend.

[Emmanuella C Arumeze]

I would love to read this book because of the Italian language used in it. I would love to learn about the language. This book would definitely be suitable for people who like the language. Thank you for this lovely review.