528 pgs.
2024
Adult Historical Fiction - back and forth between now & then, two p-o-v
Finished 9/13/2026
Goodreads rating: 4.10
My rating: 5+
Setting: Contemporary NYC and 16th Century London
Adult Historical Fiction - back and forth between now & then, two p-o-v
Finished 9/13/2026
Goodreads rating: 4.10
My rating: 5+
Setting: Contemporary NYC and 16th Century London
My comments: Wow, what a great story! Years ago I read a novel that first opened my eyes to the possibility that Shakespeare never wrote all of the plays that are attributed to him - for multiple reasons. It seemed plausible and now I've finished 18.5 hrs. of a gorgeously written, incredibly researched story in two voices (during two time periods) that really strengthens that possibility. Weaving quotes from Shakespeare's works with more understandable English made the storytelling ultra-believable, and I'll never think of Shakepeare's works in the same way again! Incredible storytelling. Great narration. I was enthralled. Best read in a long time.
Goodreads synopsis: From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring” (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name.
Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.
In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theatre productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work.
Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.
