A review by beesreadingshelf
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“She grows up, too, with the memory of what it meant to be properly loved, for what you are, not what you ought to be.”

I’m struggling to come up with words that would effectively explain just how Hamnet made me feel. 

O’Farrell’s writing was so beautifully crafted that I felt like I was submersed into the story as a character myself with how deeply impacted I felt by the events of the story. I found myself taken aback with how I felt like I was grieving along with them. It takes a very talented author to do that and I’m now upset that this is the first work of hers that I have picked up.

I, sadly, am too familiar with loss and the way it was depicted in Hamnet was extremely close to home. Grief affects everyone in many different ways and no one is ever going to deal with it the same as others and this is a perfect portrayal of that.

Hamnet took one small piece of history that is often overlooked, unspoken of or unknown. This is exactly what historical fiction should be.

I can’t wait to see more from this author.