Description
The novel is set in 1590s Stratford-upon-Avon and centers on Agnes (historically Anne) Hathaway, a woman of wild, mystical instincts who understands the healing properties of plants better than the rigid social codes of her town. While her husband (who is never named in the book, referred to only as “the Latin tutor” or “the father”) builds a career in the playhouses of London, Agnes remains at home raising their three children. The narrative builds toward a summer day in 1596 when a sudden fever strikes their twins, Judith and Hamnet. In a devastating act of sibling devotion, Hamnet attempts to trade his life for his sister’s. The story explores the visceral, transformative power of a mother’s grief and suggests how this private family tragedy ultimately inspired one of the greatest plays ever written: Hamlet.
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