Title- Hamnet
Author- Maggie O'Farrell
Publisher- Tinder Press
Pages- 310
Rating- 4/5
Summary- In the late 16th century at Henley Street in Stratford there lived a mother with her three children- Susanna, Hamnet and Judith. Their father was none other than the famous playwright William Shakespeare who used to stay in London for his work and used to visit them occasionally. In the year 1596, at the age of barely eleven, Hamnet suddenly dies leaving his family dumbstruck. Four years later, the father writes a play named 'Hamlet'.
Review- Hamnet is a book which beautifully captures the bond between twins. It also captures the pain of losing a child. The author has beautifully described late 16th century England where literacy was the monopoly of men, horses were means of transport and Bubonic plague was quite prevalent. It is a story of breaking all norms to marry the love of your life.
Hamnet is a very intelligent boy who is quick to grab the lessons taught at school but who is also punished often due to his distracted mind. He loves his twin dearly and they are almost inseparable. They look so identical that even sometimes their mother is deceived! When Judith falls ill, Hamnet leaves no stone unturned to help his twin. After Hamnet dies, reading about the state of Judith can bring tears to anyone's eyes. Shakespeare has been depicted as a family man who like any other normal person loves his wife and adores his children. He feels sad when he has to leave behind his family in Stratford to work in London. Agnes is 'nature's child' who can tame a kestrel and coax bees to return to their hives. She has a herbal cure to almost all ailments so the people come to her for their treatment. She can also see the future. However, inspite of possessing so much power, she could not save her only son!
The second part of the story seemed a bit dragged to me, otherwise I enjoyed almost every aspect of the book. It was fascinating to read about a character whom time has long forgotten but who had inspired the famous playwright to write one of his renowned plays! I would highly recommend this book to those who are interested in reading historical fiction.
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