"Several mysteries surround the life of William Shakespeare, and one of the most fascinating concerns whom he married. Will evidently promised to wed two women at nearly the same time. In records that survive today, he is listed as being engaged first to Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton. But on the next day in the same book of marriage bonds, he is recorded as being promised to Anne Hathaway of Stratford in the diocese of Worcester."
Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper takes this mystery and tells the story from Anne Whateley's point of view. Since there is so much speculation surrounding William Shakespeare, even whether or not he was the one who wrote his plays, it is easy for me to follow along with a what-if scenario of his life.
I chose this book because I thought it would be interesting, but I liked it even more than I anticipated. I really liked the narrator, Anne Whateley, and the story was engaging whether you have any knowledge of Shakespeare or not. This book is good for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or has an interest Elizabethan England. A knowledge of Shakespeare and his life and works will add another level of enjoyment to reading this book. But it is entertaining even if Shakespeare is just some guy who wrote a bunch of plays to you.
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