From School Library Journal
Adult/High School - Tiffany's informative account of Shakespeare and his world weaves fact and fiction in a historically accurate setting. The colorful tale starts when young Will discovers the beauty of the written word not in the airless schoolroom where he spends his days copying Latin phrases, but in his Uncle Edward's library. He reads voraciously and learns much about the world from the books and from the perilous climate of religious intolerance. As events continue, he weds Anne Hathaway, and they have three children. He yearns to be a playwright, and his restlessness compels him to journey to London where he meets Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and other famous contemporaries, all of whom influence his work. As he gains fame, he misses his family in Stratford, but his passion for the world of the stage overwhelms familial desires. This novel, by the author of
My Father Had a Daughter(Berkley, 2003), which is about Judith Shakespeare, gives readers a wonderfully intimate view of day-to-day life in Shakespeare's England. Historical details, such as references to the plague and to fickle Queen Elizabeth, all help make this novel come alive. Teens will enjoy the brisk pace, colorful characters, and conflicts and successes in the life of this literary giant.
- Susanne Bardelson, Kitsap Regional Library, WA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Tiffany, author of
My Father Had a Daughter (2003), which was a tale about Shakespeare's youngest daughter, Judith, tackles the life and work of the master himself here. As a boy, young Will admires his uncle, Edward Arden, who has an extensive library that he allows Will to use. It is Arden's eventual execution that sets Will against the monarchy and sets the stage for his complex relationship with Queen Elizabeth. After marrying Anne Hathaway and having three children with her, Will sets off for London to make his fortune. He is captivated by a group of players he witnesses putting,^B and he falls in with the theatrical literary crowd in London, including Thomas Kyd and rambunctious Christopher Marlowe. Both his patron, the young and almost pretty Henry Wriothesley, for whom Will writes sonnets, and the "dark lady," Emilia, make appearances and capture Will's attentions and affections. For those who want to be immersed in the vibrant world of sixteenth-century London and the life of the great writer, this lively, boisterous novel will have much appeal.
Kristine HuntleyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
