An Unofficial Marriage by Joie Davidow

 This story brings “life love affair of two great artists - the famous Russian author, Ivan Turgenev, and the celebrated French opera singer, Pauline Viardot.”

Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1843. Ivan Turgenev, Russian aristocrat, is mesmerized with the opera sensation Pauline Viardot. When they meet in person, their reciprocated love turns into a life love affair. Through following decades, he pursues her across the countries.

France. Louis Viardot is a “respected art historian, a translator and a scholar.” He is much older than Pauline and hoped that his unfailing kindness would make Pauline love him with time. With Pauline’s success and growing number of younger admirers, he takes a different approach. He accepts Ivan in order to make Pauline happy which also feeds her success.

Pauline Garcia Viardot is the sister of the immortal soprano and daughter of the great Spanish tenor and composer. There was a time when she felt being in the shadow of her sister, but no more. Now, she enjoys her own success.

As the story goes back in time in flashbacks, it reveals Pauline’s background and her family, how she got married to Louis and how he helped to pave her career. We don’t get to know Ivan as much and that’s what I was looking forward to.

Ivan’s mother is indecently rich by the highest measure in Russia which is the number of souls one owns. She owns six thousand serfs. “At her manor house in Spasskaye, she sits on a throne, ringing bells and giving orders.” While being berated by his mother for resigning his respectable position at the interior ministry, he hopes to take up writing. He is outspoken for the rights of the serfs. His kindness and his genius are shown briefly. I wished more for that, showing who he was. There are some mentions of how his writing is progressing, but those are just brief mentions.

The character of Pauline is well developed. We get to know her career’s rises and falls and her singular passion for her art is well-expressed.

The historical background is more of a remark. We don’t get to feel the tumultuous time during which they lived.

The prose is beautiful. The expressions of love are intensely passionate and that’s what I’d say represents the time period. How they expressed themselves. The story explores the relationship between following one’s passion for career and for love which is a complex matter. The story has a good flow with steady pace.

Release date: 16 March 2021

Source: Arcade; Skyhorse Publishing