By Any Other Name - by Jodi Picoult (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the co-author of Mad Honey comes an "inspiring" (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart--one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare's plays--who are both forced to hide behind another name.

"You'll fall in love with Emilia Bassano, the unforgettable heroine based on a real woman that Picoult brings vividly to life in her brilliantly researched new novel."--Kristin Hannah, author of The Women

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.

Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on . . . no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.

Review Quotes

"A fresh take on an age-old question--what if a woman really wrote Shakespeare's plays? . . . The more the novel lays the groundwork, the more convincing it is that the lauded playwright didn't act alone."--People

"You'll fall in love with Emilia Bassano, the unforgettable heroine based on a real woman that Jodi Picoult brings vividly to life in her brilliantly researched new novel. Picoult's books always start passionate conversations, and this one is sure to get people talking. Book clubs will embrace this rich, inspiring story."--Kristin Hannah, author of The Women

"A heartfelt, inspiring and deeply thought-provoking look at identity, strength and struggle. Meticulously researched, beautiful and original, By Any Other Name is a timeless classic from one of our great storytellers."--Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colors of the Dark

"A thought-provoking tale of two female playwrights and the similar compromises they make 400 years apart."--The Washington Post

"Picoult's fictional take on the real life of [Emilia Bassano]. She quite likely would have known Shakespeare, because they moved in the same circles. Did she write things attributed to the Bard? Who knows. But her own life is interesting enough."--Los Angeles Times

"Her best one yet. Jodi Picoult has combined her trademark research with an astonishing and heart-rending story, embedded in truth, and turned it into a gripping novel."--Jojo Moyes, author of Someone Else's Shoes

"A blend of historical fiction and modern-day settings, the novel gives us timelines that intertwine and surprise. . ."--Harper's Bazaar

"[An] inspiring work of feminist literature."--Elle

"Picoult creates a richly detailed portrait of daily life in Elizabethan England, from sumptuous castles to seedy hovels. . . . It's Emilia's story, and Picoult lovingly brings her to life. . . . A vibrant tale of a remarkable woman."--Kirkus Reviews

"The experience of reading a Jodi Picoult novel--the surge of being swept away in both story and enlightenment--is powerful."--Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper

"Extensively researched and richly imagined."--The Christian Science Monitor

"A moving story of courage and ambition."--Woman's World

"The acclaimed Jodi Picoult dives right into the did-Shakespeare-write-his-plays controversy with a novel that spans centuries."--Parade

"Stunning. So interesting, clever, educational and moving. One of the best books I've read in recent times."--Gillian McAllister, author of Wrong Place, Wrong Time

"[A] timely and affecting tale . . . Picoult's many, many fans will pounce on her latest incisive, pot-stirring tale."--Booklist, starred review

"An excellent addition to Picoult's thought-provoking novels of human struggle and conflict . . . Beautifully crafted and compelling."--The Historical Novels Review

"Masterful . . . Breathtaking . . . Picoult's own writing reminds us that to be a truly magnificent author, one also must be a poet, a creator of imagery and metaphor."--Bookreporter

About the Author

Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-nine novels, including Mad Honey (co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan), Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister's Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.