Book Club 2nd Edition

This novel is rooted in primary historical sources and simultaneously follows two lives: that of the fictional, modern playwright Melina Green who writes the play “By Any Other Name”; and her Elizabethan ancestor, Emilia Bassano, who was a contemporary of Shakespeare and whose life as a ghost writer inspires Melina’s play. Some historians consider that Emilia Bassano, as well as others, were the actual writers, whether in whole or in part, of some of Shakespeare’s plays. The book generated much discussion including: the challenges faced by female writers across the ages, particularly playwrights; shared authorship; the intriguing historical and archival evidence presented in the book’s appendix; and the unique challenges for women in Elizabethan times, regardless of their social status. While the book received mixed reviews among club members, most agreed that Emilia’s storyline – the characters, settings and descriptions – was the more preferred one.

Submitted by Liana Haynes