title: Hamnet by: O'Farrell, Maggie published: 2020-03-31 read: 2020-08 preview

Nobody knew. The story went that she had appeared one day, parting the brambles, stepping out of the green, twilit world, and from then on the farmer, who happened to be standing there, watching his sheep, could never look away from her. He picked the leaves from her hair and the snails from her skirts. He brushed the twigs and moss from her sleeves, bathed the mud from her feet. He took her into his house, fed her, clothed her, married her and, not long after, a baby girl was born to them.

That’s Agnes’ (Anne’s) mother. It’s a book with many characters, but the main ones are the most relevant:

1. Agnes (Anne) Hathaway: The wife of William Shakespeare. In the novel, she is portrayed as a strong, intuitive, and somewhat mystical woman with a deep connection to nature and healing.
2. William Shakespeare is not explicitly named as such, but he is the father of Hamnet and the renowned playwright. His role is more in the background, focusing on his relationship with his family, particularly his absence due to his career in London. And absent and absent.
3. Hamnet Shakespeare: The central figure of the novel, Hamnet is the young son of Agnes and William Shakespeare, whose death at age 11 is the emotional core of the story. The novel explores his life and the impact of his death on the family.
4. Judith Shakespeare: Hamnet’s twin sister, who falls seriously ill at the beginning of the novel, and should have been the one to die. Her illness and Hamnet’s subsequent death drive much of the story.
5. Susanna Shakespeare: The eldest child of Agnes and William Shakespeare, Susanna is portrayed as a responsible and caring older sister.

Others: Mary Shakespeare (née Arden); William Shakespeare’s mother, who lives with the family in Stratford-upon-Avon. She is depicted as a practical and somewhat stern woman, deeply concerned with the family’s reputation and status, and married to John Shakespeare, a flawed and struggling figure with a history of financial difficulties and declining social status. Other children of the couple are Eliza, a younger sister of William, and Joan, living with Mary and helping with household affairs

Bartholomew Hathaway: Agnes’s older brother, who helps raise her after their mother’s death and remains a supportive figure throughout her life.

Anne seems to be a wonderful woman, the marriage is intermittent though, and challenged as life does.  While William is just your regular guy who lives for his theatre.  I buy that.

Lovely book.