Not being a great fan of Shakespeare I thought I would give this a go.It is a fictional story of Shakespeare's son Hamnet. Although Shakespeare is not mentioned by name and really on the periphery of the story it is very well told mainly by Agnes his wife. Beautifully written it brings to life how people lived in the 1500s. The smells,poverty and lives are all brought to life in these pages. I really felt for the children and Hamnet and how loyal he was to his twin Judith right to the very end.It is a moving, fictional account of life in Shakespeare's time. Thoroughly recommend it even if you don't like Shakespeare

Based on real events. Very readable and chosen for our Bookclub to review - well received!

Some books demand to be devoured at one sitting, others need to be savoured slowly. This beautiful novel is one of the latter. Each chapter is a carefully crafted masterpiece of language and atmosphere that takes time to digest fully. Maggie O'Farrell's exploration of grief and trauma rings so true to life that I had to pause to steady myself before I felt able to move on. Inevitably the period setting and use of the present tense are going to invite comparison with Hilary Mantel's Cromwell trilogy, which I also love, but this is in many ways a quieter kind of book. The character of Agnes will stay with me for a long time.

This has been my favourite 'Lockdown' book. The descriptions of the houses, farms, apartment and woodland made me feel I was transported to each place. A very moving historic novel which was beautifully written. I will be reading it again.

The imagined life of William Shakespeare's son who died age 11.How his father met his mother Agnes(Anne)Hathaway,how the family lived with Williams parents in a tiny apartment bring up 3 children Susannah and twins Judith and Hamnet(Hamlet). How William had to leave home to make his fortune away from a domineering father and the poor but happy family unit he and his wife has established. His wife was believed to be a witch as she made potions from plants, attended bees and was able to look into your soul by gabbing your hand in a specific way. The son was very much loved by the family and when he dies it very nearly destroyed Agnes who was left to look after him when passing with the help of her Mother in Law. The writing brought you back to the time when Shakespeare lived in a vivid way ,Maggie's research was painstaking and as far as we know very accurate. WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 and I believe rightfully so as it stands out from the crowd in this sad and turbulent year,takes you back 500 years and nothing really changes !!