Description
Drawing on Maggie O’Farrell’s long-standing interest in the obscure story behind Shakespeare’s most mysterious play, Hamnet offers a luminous portrait of a marriage deeply affected by the loss of a beloved child. Set in Warwickshire in the 1580s, it follows Agnes, a woman both feared and sought after for her unique gifts. She settles with her husband on Henley Street in Stratford, raising three children: Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith. Tragically, Hamnet dies in 1596 at the age of eleven. Four years later, his father writes a play called Hamlet. O’Farrell’s award-winning novel breathes life into a story often relegated to literary footnotes, offering an unforgettable vindication of Agnes, a woman intriguingly absent from history.
Hamnet was recognized as a New York Times Notable Book (2020) and named Best Book of 2020 by the Guardian, Financial Times, Literary Hub, and NPR.
