“Hamnet” by Maggie O’Farrell

The names Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable in Stratford records in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Hamnet was the name of William Shakespeare’s only son, who died in 1596, aged eleven. Hamlet is the title of a famous play.

This novel is the imagined story of Shakespeare’s wife Agnes, who was a wise woman and clairvoyant. Her story is is almost mythic, and the descriptions are superb. It’s beautifully written and totally enthralling. The account of the mother preparing her son’s body for burial is heart-rending, as is the continuing grief of the whole family. Shakespeare himself is a minor character in this story which concentrates intensely on the domestic life of the women. This is a book not to be missed.

Although this boy had shortened days
his name lives on among the plays