Title: By Any Other Name
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publication Date: August 20, 2024
Description:
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.
My Thoughts:
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, but I wasn’t sure about this one. I wasn’t sure how I felt about discrediting Shakespeare. But, I kept hearing so many great things about it, that I had check it out. It was clear that Picoult, as with all her books, did extensive research. I think this is now my favorite Jodi Picoult novel. It’s a truly inspiring story of female empowerment and the importance of ensuring everyone’s stories are told. Although Melina and Emilia both dealt with heavy issues in their life, there’s just enough humor and hope mixed in that it doesn’t become too depressing.
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