MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE

Author: Karen Harper ISBN: 9780399155451 2/2009 HISTORICAL Publisher: GP PUTNAM & SONS
Time Period: Elizabethan England

In Mistress Shakespeare, Elizabethan beauty Anne Whateley reveals intimate details of her dangerous, daring life and her great love, William Shakespeare. As historical records show, Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton is betrothed to Will just days before he is forced to wed the pregnant Anne Hathaway of Shottery. The clandestine Whateley/Shakespeare match is a meeting of hearts and heads that no one—not even Queen Elizabeth or her spymasters—can destroy. From rural Stratford-upon- Avon to teeming London, the passionate pair struggles to stay solvent and remain safe from Elizabeth I's campaign to hunt down secret Catholics, of whom Shakespeare is rumored to be a part. Often at odds, always in love, the couple sells Will's first plays and, as he climbs to theatrical power in Elizabeth's England, they fend off fierce competition from rival London dramatists, ones as treacherous as they are talented. Persecution and plague, insurrection and inferno, friends and foes, even executions of those they hold dear, bring Anne's heartrending story to life. Spanning half a century of Elizabethan and Jacobean history and sweeping from the lowest reaches of society to the royal court, this richly textured novel tells the real story of Shakespeare in love.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Karen Harper’s MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE is a poignant glimpse into the life of the woman who loved William Shakespeare. Told through Anne Whateley’s eyes, it reads like a personal memoir. The reader gets to feel Anne’s emotions, her heartbreak and acceptance of her fate. The intricacies of the time period are told in detail. While I learned a great deal about this time in history, I never felt like I was sitting in on a lesson. The information came as part of the tale and brought a fresh interest in the era.

This look into the life of William Shakespeare illustrated the personal man behind the public persona. He was the eldest of five children and felt compelled to help his father and family. When his father mortgages property, he confides that he feels the burden of his position. This is only one example of how his life was shaped by circumstance. That fact is apparent, also, for Anne. She feels Anne Hathaway is Will’s “other wife” and believes her bottomless love for him, and his for her, gives her leave to consider herself Will’s true wife. This is a love affair that, while deep and achingly heartfelt, is also somewhat sad. I can’t help but wonder how life could have been different for those involved in this triangle.

Well-written and with vivid attention to detail, MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE is a detailed look at a side of Shakespeare not usually seen. I enjoyed it, and I believe others will also.

Kay James