Separated by centuries but tied by blood and a love of words, Melina Green and Emilia Bassano are both playwrights. In the 1500s, Emilia will do whatever is necessary to provide for her family and get her writing out there, including ghostwriting for William Shakespeare. In present day, Melina will do anything to get her play produced, including using her best friend. Will she take it too far? 

 

The very real Emilia Bassano is thought to be the true author of some Shakespeare’s work. The message that women and people of color are often overlooked in favor white men—shall I list of examples?—is still, unfortunately, relevant today. Picoult’s version of Emilia begs us to examine gender inequality, feminism, and societal expectations. It is timely, as all of her books tend to be. 

 

I’m not a huge fan of Shakespeare. I just can’t get into Elizabethan era poetry—it feels too much like English homework. That being said, I had the opportunity to see Jodi discuss this book and I wanted to read it with that fresh in mind. Hearing her talk about the works that inspired her, the research that went into writing it, and how dear this book is to her heart made it all the more enjoyable. While I found both character’s stories captivating, I wonder if I would have enjoyed it less if I had not audiobooked it. Parts dragged and I found myself zoning out. If this were ~100 pages less, I think I could have loved it.