Jodi Picoult’s has woven two intriguing stories together across two very different time periods to create one fascinating book. The validity of Shakespeare’s authorship is in question and Emilia’s story is a compelling one with the challenges of being a female playwright in Shakespearean times laid bare in this book. The weaving in of her ancestor Melina, who is experiencing her own challenges due to her gender provide a fascinating juxtaposition. I highly recommend this book.. particularly for those who have an interest in Shakespeare and in theatre.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for providing this E-ARC.

Jodi Picoult is an author I have followed and read for many years now. For the most part I have loved all of her books but some of her more recent ones have fallen a bit flat for me. But this one didn't and I loved it, love the Shakespeare connection and the story of two women and there lives as women with ambition and how they managed to do what they love but not necessarily be recognised for it.

This is a very interesting read and is a little bit different than some of the authors other books and I like that. It is written in two different times but about two women related and the story is a tangle of how their lives have unfolded and the secrets of famous writers and who really wrote their works.

This is a fantastic, interesting, intriguing and even educational. I love books like this as you really do learn of the past and how it has affected the present. This is a book I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Allen & Unwin for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Picoult’s latest novel is an interesting investigation into the controversy as to whether Williams Shakespeare did in fact write all the works he was credited for. I was aware of other famous authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and George Orwell it was thought that their wives were behind a lot of their work but hadn’t come across that Shakespeare was also under investigation for the same thing. I really appreciated the research behind the theories that shown through the novel and was highlighted in the author’s note at the end. I loved all the Shakespearean Easter Eggs that made their way through the story and seeing photos of the real life miniatures that featured in the book.

In this novel Picoult suggests that a woman named Emilia Bassano was behind the works. Emilia’s story, set between 1581 and 1645 alternate with Melina Green’s story set between 2013 and 2027. I loved that not only did we get to go back in time, we also got a glimpse into the future. I really enjoyed Jodi’s descriptions of what it was like to live in the late 1500s/ early 1600s. You really felt like you were transported back in time and could practically smell what it was in London during this time! It’s an era that I’m not too familiar with and enjoyed learning all about day to day life - the role of women at the time, the plague, the Puritanical movement, the use of herbs and all the different court politics.

I also enjoyed getting a glimpse into the theatre world in New York in the present day. The parallel stories of Emilia and Melina explore the role of gender and racial discrimination in the theatre. Whilst things have improved since the 1600s, a lot has stayed the same. We may never know who was behind Shakespeare’s works but I’m glad to have learned more about Emilia, she was an incredible woman.

Emilia Bassano becomes the Lord Chamberlain's mistress at a very young age, she goes to the theatre with him in London, England, and secretly she writes her own plays and poems. So her work can be published, she has to sell it and a male playwright gains all the praise and for centuries.

Melina Green let one bad review when she was younger, put doubts in her mind that’s she’s not good enough to be a playwright and then she decides to tell the story about her long lost relative Elizabethan Emilia Bassano. Thinking he’s helping her, Melina’s roommate Andre steps in and enters her play into a competition and talk about opening a can of worms.

The dual timeline narrative starts both in 1581 and in 2020 and is told from the two women’s characters Emilia and Melina points of view and perspectives and they have a lot in common and not an easy path for them both in matters of the heart.

I received a copy of By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult from Allen & Unwin and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Using real facts about Emilia Bassano Ms. Picoult explores topics such as life in Elizabethan England and women’s roles, sexism and the impact of the plague. While Melina’s character is insecure and vulnerable, she doubts her own abilities and talent, she believes men have better chance of being a successful playwright and the modern plague called Covid hits.

Like many people Ms. Picoult wonders and explores William Shakespeare’s legacy, how was it possible for him to write over thirty plays, while being a full-time actor and producer, did he buy work from others and could he been part of a group or fringe? This book is perfect for fans of the theatre and history, willing to consider all the options, have an open mind and it's a really interesting and thought provoking read.

Four stars from me, if you enjoyed The Escapades of Tribulation Johnson by Karen Brooks as I did and I highly suggest reading By Any Other Name.

"By Any Other Name" is a captivating read that explores the intriguing lives of Emilia Bassano and Melina Green while sparking curiosity about William Shakespeare. The parallel stories of these two women draw you in, and you'll find yourself wanting to learn more about Shakespeare's life and works. This novel is a delightful introduction to the world of Shakespearean intrigue.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

This is something of a departure for Picoult – although I haven’t read all of her novels, to my knowledge this is her first historical fiction. It contains a lot of her signature motifs: strong female characters, life-changing dilemmas, and seemingly small decisions that turn out to have huge impacts. I think many of her existing readers will enjoy this, and it may win her some new ones.

The novel follows two distinct stories in two timelines. One, in the late 1500s, follows Emilia Bassano. Emilia is a woman who yearns to write, in a time when that’s all but unheard of for a woman. In the end she takes what seems to be the only option open to her: she asks a male playwright to buy her plays and claim them as his own.

Centuries later, in the early 2000s, Melina Green is also a woman who wants to write. At first she seems headed for success as a playwright. However, sexism and a vicious and biased review derail her. Years later, she wants passionately to tell the story of her ancestor, Emilia – the writer who may have written some of “Shakespeare’s” most acclaimed plays. She’s having no luck, until her roommate enters one of her plays in a competition… under a male name.

This story is peppered with many references not just to Shakespeare’s plays, but to the scholarship that suggests some or all of them were written by other people. Frankly, I found it convincing and fascinating. Picoult has obviously had to make some considerable guesses about Emilia’s life as the historical record is pretty scant. However, it’s convincing and vivid. Picoult tells her story with empathy and understanding.

This novel has similarities with Karen Brooks’ “The Escapades of Tribulation Johnson”, in which Aphra Behn, the first acknowledged and published female playwright in English history, appears. I enjoyed that one too, and many readers may find it a good companion to “By Any Other Name”.

I often find stories set in this period which aim for historical accuracy to be somewhat frustrating. Women at that time were so hemmed in, and had so few choices, that I chafe for them. I know it’s realistic, but I really wanted Emilia to be able to do things differently. In this case, I found that frustration somewhat diluted by the modern storyline.

Yes, sexism and other people’s choices, and the perceptions they impose on Melina all force her life onto paths she wouldn’t have chosen for herself (much like Emilia, if I need to spell it out). However, in this period she has more options and more agency, and is ultimately able to reclaim her narrative, both literally and figuratively.

I really enjoyed this novel. I appreciated the shades of grey in some characters’ behaviour and motivations. I was moved by the stories of two strong women. And I really valued the genuine historical research woven into this story.

I will publish this review closer to publication date and will return to add review links then. Thank you.

This is quite a change I felt from Jodi’s previous books, it has quite a literary bent and I loved it. Told in two intertwining timelines that move from present day to the 1500s we follow the parallel lives of Melisa Green and Emilia Bassano.
Melissa wants to be a play write but a scathing review of her work has left her downhearted. Being a women in a male dominated world is frustrating. When Melissa finds she is related to Emilia Bassano, a woman who lived in the 1500 and was the first published female poet, she decides to write a play about her. As Melissa starts to look into her ancestors early life she finds that quite possibly Emilia had written a lot of Shakespeares plays. Melissa decides to write a play around this but wont submitted it for fear of rejection again. Her flatmate and best friend Andre, submits the play under the name Mel so it is assumed the play was written by a male.
1581 sees Emilia a ward to an English Aristocrat where she is taught language and history, and with a sharp wit and mind she writes poetry, knowing it will never see anyone’s eyes but hers. She is given (against her will) to the Lord. Chamberlain to become his mistress. He oversees the theatre productions and here Emilia first encounters the work of Shakespeare, an actor who has submitted a poorly written play. Emilia sees this might be a way to get her words heard, to get them published under Shakespeares name, if he is willing to collaborate with her.
This is a richly layered story. A lot of insight into life in Shakespeares time and also how despite the centuries women still have to fight to be heard.
I really loved this.

#ByAnyOtherName. #NetGalley

Wonderful characterisation and narrative. However it is very different from Picoult usual style of family drama. I found it very hard to connect with the story but I would still recommend that it is worth the read as you may feel differently. I did enjoy the flashbacks of Shakespeare.

Beautiful writing and characterisation. A little different to Ms Picoults usual style of moral dilemmas. However very readable.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors, her dedication to a topic and hours of research are evident in all of her books and I find her writing style enjoyable, while still tackling tough and thought provoking topics.

By Any Other Name was very different to her normal books. It was clear that Jodi had put hours of research into this book and it made for incredible reading. I adored the flashbacks to Emilia's life and thought it was captured beautifully, spanning her lifetime, achievements, and many, many struggles. The history was written about wonderfully, with lovely imagery and snippets of true historic events.

Melina's story was also told well, with her own struggles, insights into her personal life and background. I didn't warm to her in the same way I warmed to Emilia but I still found myself rooting for her.

Both tales, interwoven with each other showed strong female characters, hardship and the struggles of being a woman in any time period. I loved the writing, the stories, the theatre elements, the friendships and relationships and the courage of both women.

I thought the ending tied everything up nicely and Jodi has done well with the diversity of the characters. It is vastly different to her usual contemporary / hot topic / crime solving books but she has absolutely nailed it. Even readers who are not normally fans of historical dramas will enjoy this. An easy 5 stars from me and 5 wishes that Jodi will do more books like this.