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.

I have read every single book by her and loved them all- til now. This was just OK> It seemed a bit messy and rushed and the overll feeling left me a bit flat. But she can't be perfect allll the time. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

*** I received an e-ARC of this book from Random House Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review***

⭐️⭐️

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. I love that she writes about complex and often controversial topics, and many of her stories invoke a strong emotional response that stays with me for days. Unfortunately, this story was not one of them. The exploration of gender dynamics and the disparities in recognition between men and women for similar accomplishments is an important theme relevant to current times, but the delivery fell flat for me. This book did not pull me in and keep me wanting more. I so wanted to love this book but it is not one that I will read again.

✨ Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley.

As an English major, I took classes on Shakespeare and knew rumblings about questions of his authorship. I did not, however, know the name Emilia Bassano. I LOVED this book. An intricate look at the life of a modern playwright interwoven with the life of a playwright in the 1500s. This was eye opening and exciting and all around a great read!! Thank you to Jodi, NetGalley, and Random House for the ARC!

"By Any Other Name" by Jodi Picoult intertwines the stories of Melina Green and her ancestor Emilia Bassano, both battling against societal norms as they chase their dreams. Picoult's talent for bringing history to life adds layers to themes like gender discrimination and the power of storytelling.

While the book dives deep into these themes, I found myself wishing for more depth in the portrayal of the neurodivergent character. As someone who values diverse representation in literature, I felt this aspect of the story could have been explored more fully.

Another challenge I faced was the book's length. At 500 pages, it's a hefty read with lots of characters and plotlines to keep track of. This occasionally made it hard for me to stay fully engaged, especially when the pacing slowed down in some parts.

Looking back on my reading experience, I realized that maybe "By Any Other Name" just wasn't the right fit for me at this moment. While some readers might find themselves fully immersed in its themes and characters, I struggled to connect I am a big fan of Jodi Picoult but I just couldn't fully get into this one. Thank you to Ballantine for my review copy.

I have been a long time fan of Jodi Picoult, and her newest book, By Any Other Name, did not disappoint! This book tells the story of Emilia and Melina, two women separated by the centuries, who both end up writing under a different name. Emilia does not really have a choice living in the 1600s, where as Melina almost occurs as a comedy of errors, but ends up working out in her favor.
I loved the character development in this book, and how the characters are shown over time. I enjoyed seeing the similarities between the two main characters, what they were going through, their friendships, and their heartache's. I enjoyed learning different theories about Shakespeare’s plays, and liked how quotes were used throughout this book. I definitely recommend this! Thank you to NetGalley and to the author and publisher of this book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It took me awhile to get into. I'm not that interested in Shakespeare but I ended up really enjoying this book. I enjoyed the two different time periods. I did feel like Emilla's chapters may have been longer than they needed to be. The notes at the end were interesting. It's not necessarily her typical book but there was some social justice tied into historical fiction.

By Any Other Name does not read like your typical Jodi Picoult book. Which may be actually fitting because that is the premise of this book.
This book flips between two time periods …. Contemporary time and Elizabethan England.
The contemporary story is about a young female play-write that decides because her senior college play was critiqued in a negative way, a women play write has no chance. Instead she forces her best friend to pretend he wrote the play. Melina was annoying selfish and whiny. This story did not resonate with me.
On the other hand, the historical fiction story about Emilia was fascinating. As a women she was not allowed to publish so she became the ghost writer for Shakespeare ! This story was interesting , well researched and engaging .
This really felt like two completely different books.
So the contemporary story … 2 stars
The historical fiction … 4 stars
Rounded together …3 stars
Side note - writing neurodivergent characters that are too literal,impulsive and tactless is a trope that seems to appear quite a-bit and it seemed unnecessary in this book.
Thanks net galley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this book is beautifully written from start to finish amd is bound to be a bestseller. The tale follows 2 women, distant relatives, whose lives are separated by centuries yet they share similar experiences. Emilia is a burgeoning poet and playwright living at a time when writing was not something suitable for women to do. So, what can she do but find someone willing to be the public face for her work, William Shakespeare. Melina is a playwright at Bard and faces her own publishing challenges until inspiration from Emilia leads her to new opportunities. Picoult masterfully weaves their 2 tales together amd it is clear she has done her research, By Any Other Name is a stunning read.

Two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—are both forced to hide behind another name to make their voices heard.

In 1581, Emilia Bassano—like most young women of her day—is allowed no voice of her own.

In the present, playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano.

Jodi Picoult has done some very admirable research, as she usually does, and brings that information into the story. I normally don't love antiquated books that are in this time period, but this was an easy one to follow. I did think it ended rather quickly, but the story ended full circle and I love the female empowerment the story had.

Thank you to Jodi Picoult, Random House, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This was really disappointing. I loved learning about Emilia Bassano and I was interested in the modern day half of the story - but this focused much more in the historical fiction and it draaaaaaged. 😭 It also just.. ended. No climax, no nothing. The premise was interesting but it did not bear fruit in the writing. Disappointing from such an excellent author.

Melina is a struggling 21st century playwright in a male dominated industry. Emilia Bassano is a playwright in Elizabethan society where women do not have a voice. Both put their work under the cover of a man’s name in order to have it read and performed even if they do not get credit. Melina’s play is about her ancestor, Emilia Bassano, whose plays are written under the name of William Shakespeare.

As always, Jodi Picoult engages the complexity of inequity and inequality with deeply researched material. As someone who loves Broadway theatre, I appreciated Melina’s storyline about race and gender and unconscious bias on the part of critics. Since 2020, I have been delighted to see the shift in the production of more diverse shows even as the author points out, there is a long way to go.

That said, the heart of this novel was about Emilia’s story. What if, as much of the evidence suggests, according to Picoult, Shakespeare had a writer’s group who for a variety of reasons gave him their plays to be produced under his name? What if one of the first published woman poets, Emilia Bassano, is responsible for works like Romeo and Juliet but because of her gender and societal position, she had to keep her name a secret? I loved this thread of the book - both Emilia’s life and how it fit in with and inspired the plays she may have written.

As much as Melina’s story was important as a vehicle for telling Emilia’s story and for highlighting that these inequalities still exist, it made the book way too long. In the context of this dual timeline, the love interest for Melina was completely unnecessary as was her relationship with her father. These timelines could have been two novels. Or Melina’s playwright story could have book ended Emilia’s epic biography as imagined by Picoult. There also seemed to be some repetition that was unnecessary and some that seemed unintentional - repeated phrases just a few pages apart. The characters in Emilia’s narrative were referred to by different names which was confusing.

I loved the premise and Picoult weaves together a compelling historical novel. But I had a hard time getting through the 500 pages and keeping track of what was happening and who all of the characters were. I also feel a bit guilty leaving a 3 star review for one of my favorite authors and if given the option would give it 3.5.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. #ByAnyOtherName #Netgalley

This book has an interesting, even astounding, premise- the female poet Emilia Bassano wrote many of the works attributed to Shakespeare. While I have heard that some do not think Shakespeare wrote all of the works credited to him, Picoult suggests he wrote none of them. However, she herself says that she had no proof for this assertion. Also, she creates a love affair between the Earl of Southampton and Bassano; this is also done without any proof whatsoever. I will acknowledge that Bassano is a poet worth knowing about since she paved the path for other female writers, but Picoult exalts her at the expense of Shakespeare, whom she paints as a buffoon. Was he really as awful as he is depicted here? Does the author loath him that much? These are questions I kept asking myself as I read.
The modern day angle follows a female playwright who uses a male pen name in a writing contest. I grew weary of both stories with the characters pulling the victim card and doing nothing to help themselves over and over again. The author says she is expecting hate mail, but that would mean the reader would have to feel something in order to go to the trouble to write a note. I am not sure if this is supposed to be an historical novel or a treatise on the plight of female writers. Either way, I would like to see more factual research and stronger female characters. If you are looking for an interesting look at 16th England, you might enjoy this book, but if you lean toward intelligent and accurate research, then don’t bother with this one.
Thanks to Net Gallery and Ballantine Books for an early copy to read.

This one did not grab me like previous Picoult books have; I had high hopes and the story didn't work for me. I feel the mechanics and plot were solid and any detractions are simply the result of it not being a good for me personally. I do appreciate the opportunity to read the advanced copy.

This was a very thought provoking story about women trying to make it an a man’s world. It kept me interested but I felt it was a little long.

I am in awe of this book. I am convinced this will be my favorite book of the year. I went into this read blind, but as an English major who spent many a semester learning about Shakespeare I was astonished and completely enamored with this story. Emilia is a force to be reckoned with, a woman who time and time again had to literally and figuratively roll with the punches. I thought I would be more invested in Melina Green and her life in the present but as we spent time in her world I couldn’t help but think of Emilia. What was happening to her? The world around me faded to black as this story unfolded before me. The writing was beautiful, the women were written impeccably and admirably and with so much strength.

My heart aches for these women. The women who were told to sit down and shut up, the women who were raised to believe their only role in life was to please the men around them. The women who had no voice and had to watch their lives be written for them. Emilia said no to this, she took charge of her life as best she can and even though she faced constant loss, in the end, she prevailed. But my god the mountains she climbed to get there.

“I shall try to think more quietly, my lord.”

As a writer, a survivor of abuse, and as a woman, this story hit so close to home. I will never forget these characters, these lessons, or the strength the woman portrayed in this story embodied.

And to the women in my life and to those reading this, I hope you burn “so bright that people could not turn away” because you deserve to be seen and heard.

Wow I could go on. I need this book in my arms to hug and hold dear. I truly don’t know how else to put into words the depth of which Piccoult’s story touched me.

Thank you Jodi for being the voice to those women who couldn’t (or still can’t) have their own.

Jodi Picoult at her absolute best! I loved this story, so different and captivating. I couldn’t put it down. I learned more history from this book than I ever expected. It is filled with interesting facts, especially about Shakespeare. There is also a touch of romance and a love story or two.
It’s a story of two women. One lives in present day time and one in Elizabethan times, the time of William Shakespeare. Both women are playwrights. Each one facing the obstacles and prejudices of their own time. For it’s always been a man’s world. These are strong, determined women who take risks to have their work seen and heard. To have their talents as authors be recognized. This is one of Jodi Picoult’s best yet.

Thank you Random House Publishing for an advanced reader's copy of By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult. No, seriously thank you. I am the kind of Jodi Picoult fan where I preorder a new release months in advance and I literally do that for no one else.

Why do I love her writing so much? Well, only Jodi knows how to get me to cry on a beautiful Spring day. By Any Other Name was no different. Jodi dove headfirst into Elizabethan history asking a question I've never really given much time to: Did the most well known playwright, Shakespeare, really write all 37 plays and umpteen sonnets etc OR could a woman (the horror!) been one of the lead playwrights?

For readers who don't enjoy Jodi's 'of the moment' controversial novels, they will really like this one. Picoult focuses on a woman's place in the arts, theater especially. We meet Melina Green in 2013 as a burgeoning playwright at Bard college who feels defeated when her play is met with awkward glances and a chilling review from a top NYTimes columnist. She toys around with another play - this one featuring one of her ancestors, Emilia Bassano. Both she (and Picoult) have done some intense research into her life and sees ties to the idea that Emilia was really behind some of Shakespeare's most well known plays (Hamlet, Othello, Romeo & Juliet etc). However, she knows that women are rarely plucked to be the next playwright on Broadway, so when her play is chosen under the guise of 'Mel Green' she enlists her queer Black friend Andre to be Mel. Chaos ensues and is written along Emilia's fairly depressing story.

I'm giving 4.5 stars to By Any Other Name. There was a lot to chew on in this book, but the stakes weren't high enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. There wasn't a morality lesson to be learned (except that all women and minorities deserve to have their place in the spotlight and f*ck the patriarchy). I already agree with that assessment so I didn't learn any new except for Emilia's story, which I'm glad I did!

First off thank you NetGalley for this early copy of By Any Other Name. What a great story. You can see all the research Jodi Picoult must have done to write this story. Never did I feel that she was pushing the story line to suit her end goal. It really made me believe that William may not have been the author of all his plays and perchance it was an array of writers and the leader among them. Emilia Bassano. Whatever the truth is, this story captivated me from the get go and I really enjoyed it.
Weaving back and forth from modern day to the time of Shakespeare's the author blends the story of two women who voices couldn't be heard due to the time in which they lived and / or the biases of men about women's talents and their right to use them.
The best part of this was the collection of facts of the time period of what would have been normal behavior for writers, women and likely collaboration among writers. I liked the relationships the author created with our main female characters, and how they panned out and the women responded to what life dealt them.
100 % recommend anyone to read this book! I can also see this made into a movie or tv mini series.