“By Any Other Name” is so well-researched and thought-provoking. I really think it’s worth a read if you have any interest in the works of Shakespeare or should I say Emilia Bassano? The story is told in from two perspectives in two timelines: Emilia Bassano, a writer whose works are credited to Shakespeare, and her playwright descendant, Melina. I could have read a whole book from either perspective, but the dual perspectives build on each other beautifully. I loved exploring the themes of who gets credit for our stories, how our words live on, and how marginalization plays into all of this. Emilia Bassano as a character and historical figure is rich for analysis, and I became absolutely enamored with Picoult’s characterization of her. I did find the book dense and a little hard to pick up at times, but it’s absolutely worth the read.