A review by haley313
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I didn’t know anything about the personal life of Shakespeare or his family prior to reading this book, though as others have noted this is essentially a story about Agnes. I think the writing was lovely, and I enjoyed many of the characters. The description of the travel of the plague was fascinating. There were several scenes that made me weep. I loved the tender depictions of womanhood, sisterhood, motherhood. However, I feel like the magic waned for me in the last quarter of the book. I didn’t love the ending. 
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