I’ll admit it’s been over a decade since I read anything by Jodi Picoult. She was my favorite author in high school after reading My Sister’s Keeper for English class & I was even fortunate enough to interview her for a piece I wrote for the school paper.

I am so glad that I jumped back into reading her material and look forward to catching up on some of the books I have been missing out on.

Up to this point I had always brushed off the conspiracy theories that people spouted remarking that William Shakespeare didn’t write his own plays - even my husband has repeated this to me before and I never humored it in the slightest…but after reading this piece, I am 100% a believer. I believe that many of Shakespeare’s plays were written by women and it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment or appreciation for the work that was published under his name.

In this work of fiction - Picoult gives us dual POV between Melina in 2023 and Emilia in the 1500s. The two are distant relatives who are both playwrights. Melina writes a play about Emilia being one of the many women who had their plays published by Shakespeare during a time when women weren’t able to publish written works. There is so much compelling evidence within this piece - the reader can tell that this is a topic Picoult has strong feelings about. The book actually ends at 92% and there’s still 35+ minutes left of reading where you learn about Picoult’s perspective and motivation behind this piece.

I loved going back and forth between Melina and Emilia - I can’t choose which story I preferred. Both of them tugged at my heart and had me on an emotional rollercoaster filled with tears, rage, and laughter. You’ll have to pick this one up and experience it for yourself.


I would recommend this movie to folks who enjoyed the Barbie movie — if you loved the Barbie movie there’s no way you won’t love this feminist masterpiece just as much.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to read this one prior it its release - Jodi Picoult is consistent with the quality of her work.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest, this just wasn’t my bag, baby. I knew it wouldn’t be from reading the description, but I wanted to give it a chance because in general I love Jodi Picoult. Some of her books have been too research-heavy for me - the one about wolves and the one about elephants come to mind - and this one definitely falls into that category as well. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is great and it’s clear she has a knack for doing research. But plot-wise, it just didn’t do it for me. I’m still giving it three stars because again, the writing itself was very good, and I did somewhat enjoy the plot set in present-day.

Well. Jodi Picault has officially written my most favorite book of 2023. I’ve read so many of her books over the years. And to write in a totally different genre (historical fiction) and do it just beautifully is a treat for this reader. Two time threads , each intriguing, make this a delight. If you’re a lover of Shakespeare, Ms Picaut’s take of true authorship of the plays is a tribute to the women who remained hidden in the depths of history. Read this and see!

I feel that Jodi is one of our best living writers. Her novels are always about compelling narratives and are well researched.
This one was skower than normal but still very good and I like the dual timelines
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I love author Jodi Picoult’s work, but unfortunately this one was just not for me. It got off to a slow start and I could not seem to retain interest as it switched between timelines. I guess if you are a big Shakespeare fan it will hit the right notes. This one went in my didn’t finish pile. I will try it again when I have less on my mind.

Every time Jodi Picoult has a new book out, I am so excited. This was another wonderful addition to the collection. The thing I enjoy about her books is the connection to something (in this case Shakespeare) in different points in time. Thank so much for the opportunity to read this one.

By Any Other Name is a dual timeline novel that introduces the reader to a young playwright named Melina and a woman named Emilia living in the time of Shakespeare. This novel deals with the barriers women face in society both hundreds of years ago and today. It was a great read and thought provoking.

This book made me think in ways I hadn’t ever imagined. What if everything we think we know isn’t what it seems? What if, the one author whose name is attributed to the most influential words in history, isn’t really the author? What if these characters resonate so much, across time, because they were written by many, including some women whose characters just might be among the most memorable scholars of all-time? Let Jodi Picoult, Emilia Bassano, and Melina Green take you in a journey that will nudge you to reconsider everything you think you know about the Bard and what it means to use one’s voice to plant seeds for a different future.

I've read many Jodi Picoult books that took a while to get into but this one was just so slow that about half way through, it went into my DNF (did not finish) list. The premise interested me - a dual timeline story with the first timeline featuring a young playwright, Melina, who is having trouble getting her plays performed because of her sex, and the second timeline taking place during the Elizabethan period with young playwright Emilia hiring William Shakespeare to claim to be the writer of her work. Unfortunately, the writing just didn't work for me. Life is too short to read books I don't enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Like any other Jodi Picoult book, you, the reader have to grasp the topic at hand and be present, her books are never an easy read, nor does she shy away from uncomfortable topics.. In this case, the master bard Shakespeare's work being penned mostly by a woman, when woman were not allowed to be playwrights nor even the actors on the stage playing women, men dressed up and portrayed women. A lot of this speculation I was aware of, however the deep dive of possibilities of Emilia Bassano being the brains, and charm and wit behind the Shakespeare was so enormous an undertaking that it seemed impossible, yet it could have been. All Jodi Picoult books require the reader to be as invested in the book as she was in writing it, to think for yourself and make your own determinations, but this one I felt was a huge ask, to discount everything we have been taught for centuries. I have always questioned things and this answers some questions and brings some new questions up. I loved this book. I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan and will read everything she writes, but somehow it seems like the rabbit hole has not only gotten larger but has changed dimension and location. In a word for this book, Wow! I have insomnia and this is not the best book to pick up in the middle of the night, for you know you will not rest easy. Thank you to Ms. Picoult for another great read and of thoughts that still need to be processed.

10/10, Once again Jodi Picoult had me in a chokehold. By Any Other Name made me both laugh and cry at turns, and is an excellent piece of historical fiction set in the Elizabethan era. Anyone who has spent time immersed in literature is aware that there is a question of whether or not Shakespeare truly authored all (or even any) of his works. Picoult introduces us to Emilia, a daughter of musicians in Elizabeth I’s court, who chose to be memorialized by her words rather than in name. Her resilience and fierce strength in the face of the countless challenges of her gender, her station in life, and her religion were more than admirable. Her story hooked me from the onset, and was such a different path than any other novel that I’ve read by Jodi Picoult (and I’ve made it through 90% of her work!). I will say, By Any Other Name does drag a bit at the 60-70% mark, it’s so well worth the payout. Thank you to NetGalley, Jodi Picoult, and Ballantine Books for an ARC of By Any Other Name!

Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.

In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theatre productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work.

This was a fascinating read for me. I love historical fiction, and the ideas this planted in my mind are … crazy. LOL Both Emilia and Melina are well-developed, relatable characters with compelling stories. I appreciate how this book deals with current topics like gender equality while doing so in a beautiful and believable way. I really enjoyed this gem!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

While I ALWAYS love Jodi Picoult, this was not one of my favorites. The alternating timelines is not my choice for how to read/tell a story, and it fell flat in many places for me. THat said, I STILL enjoyed it, and know our patrons will also!

I have been a big fan of Jodi Picoult for a very long time. Kudos to her for writing something different, clever and unexpected. I have never been a Shakespeare fan but thought I would at least try to learn something. I learned a fair amount.. Unfortunately I lost interest midway.

I have been a major fan of Picoult for as long as I remember. This story however, fell extremely flat for me. I had to push through to finish the novel. This takes place in 2 VERY different time periods, though could learn some from both time period. The story was written well, and the characters super interesting. However, not being a Shakespeare fan... and not knowing the time period, I found myself looking up too much info to enjoy the book.

I absolutely love Jodi Picoult and could not wait to get my hands on her newest book, By Any Other Name. As usual, this book was a winner. The book tells the story of two women: Emilia Bassano, a playwright from the 1500s and Melina Green, a modern day playwright. Their lives share a similar theme: fighting for recognition in their male dominated fields. This was a beautifully written story that I could not put down.

Has Jodi Picoult written historical fiction before? She should! This dual-timeline novel swaps between a modern playwright who is struggling with getting her work produced as a woman (and what it means when there aren’t enough seats for BIPOC and queer people either) and her ancestor, the first published female poet in Elizabethan times. Emilia Bassano can be found in real history books, but here’s where Picoult’s story veers into speculation. What if Shakespeare’s work wasn’t written by Shakespeare? This isn’t a new theory (the Oxfordian theory posits that Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford actually wrote the body or work attributed to Shakespeare, but due to his ranking, he couldn’t publicly publish), but Picoult elaborates it in great detail. Bassano’s Italian heritage, her childhood trip to Denmark, her musical skill, secret Jewish faith — all neat sources for things in Shakepeare’s plays that he shouldn’t have had knowledge of. The modern playwright becomes so convinced of the fact of her ancestor’s secret that she pens a play revealing the knowledge, and it becomes a drama of its own. It should be noted that literary scholars have overwhelming rejected theories of alternative authorship, but Picoult’s loving care of Emilia Bassano’s story leaves one wondering. The dual storyline is effective to draw comparisons, but Bassano’s is much stronger. I wish Mel could spend some time with her ancestor.
(Final recommendation will be sent to subscribers of WordSmarts.com when site launches)

Jodi Picoult’s newest novel, By Any Other Name is another amazing and timeless masterpiece. In it, we find two timelines, and much like Hamlet, we have a story/play within a story/play.

Jodi Picoult’s story begins with Melina Green, the playwright that writes a play, set in Shakespearian times, as the Bard plays a role in the survival and producer of the plays, poems, and sonnets written by Emilia Bassano, Melina’s protagonist and ancestor. This was not Melina’s first play, but it was her most researched and dearest to her heart.

As to not give spoilers, I will just say that we see Emilia’s life, in its many eras, and learn what it is to truly struggle and survive. She likened her life to that of a willow tree, that felt the weight of life’s many issues and tribulations, but survived, even if one’s branches didn’t reach for the skies from the weight of it all. Melina found her own voice in trying to give one to Emilia.

This book lit hope deep in me and also brought out tears from deep inside, as well, over issues that I hadn’t realized resonated so deeply within me. This is why I love reading Jodi Picoult’s works, but also why I can never wear non-waterproof mascara when I do.

Thank you from the bottom of my aching, but hopeful heart, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this beautiful ARC!!

By Any Other Name is a beautifully written, compelling novel that seamlessly weaves together two narratives—one set in Elizabethan England and the other in modern-day Manhattan. Jodi Picoult masterfully explores the theme of identity, drawing readers into a world where women, centuries apart, are both forced to hide behind another name to make their voices heard.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This extremely interesting story flips between 16th century Emilia and her modern day descendant Melina. Both are playwrights but Emilia must write in secret and can not publish under her own name. When a famous actor buys her poetry and plays, her work becomes known to the world. Melina writes a controversial play about her ancestor and her work.