Shakespeare's Mistress: Historical Fiction

(Paperback)

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A delicious and intriguing historical novel about the woman who was William Shakespeare's secret wife... England, 1601. When Queen Elizabeth's men come looking for William Shakespeare - a rumoured Catholic in a time of Catholic-Protestant intrigue and insurrection - they first question a beautiful, dark-haired woman who seems to know the famous playwright very well. Too well.She is Anne Whateley, born in Temple Grafton, a small town just up the river from Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. And as church records show - were anyone to look for them - Anne Whateley was wed to William Shakespeare in a small country church just days before he married another woman, Anne Hathaway, who has lived as his wife for decades.In SHAKESPEARE'S MISTRESS, Anne Whateley - who may or may not be Will's true wife - tells her story. Stretching almost fifty years, from the rural villages of Warwickshire to the bustling city of London, with its teeming streets and lively theatres, it's a story of undying passion, for life, love, and literature.

Reviews

One of the most exquisite novels I have read in a very long time * Michelle Moran *
a highly readable book for anyone who enjoys Tudor history * Daily Mail *
So vivid and authentic - a totally satisfying recreation of one of the great Shakespeare mysteries. I couldn't put it down * Rosalind Miles, author of I, Elizabeth and Guinevere *
Harper...knows her period well, and it shows...often in sure handling of the details of politics, theatre, and daily life, including some harrowing passages featuring childbirth and the plague * Booklist *
The novels chief pleasures derive from the easy interaction of Shakespeare's work, the history of Elizabethan England and the life that the author imagines Shakespeare might have had * Publishers Weekly *

Author Bio

Karen Harper is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels, both historical and contemporary, have been published worldwide.A former teacher of English literature at both college and high-school level, she has had a life long interest in Tudor history.