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Dark Aemilia : : a Novel of Shakespeare's Dark Lady

O'Reilly, Sally. Book - 2014 Fiction 1 On Shelf No requests on this item Community Rating: 2.7 out of 5

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Call Number: Fiction
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

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Downtown 2nd Floor
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"The daughter of a Venetian musician, Aemilia Bassano came of age in Queen Elizabeth's royal court. The Queen's favorite, she developed a love of poetry and learning, maturing into a young woman known not only for her beauty but also her sharp mind and a quick tongue. When Aemilia becomes the mistress of Lord Hunsdon, she fears her mind will languish--until she crosses paths with an impetuous playwright named William Shakespeare and begins an impassioned but ill-fated affair. A decade later, the Queen is dead, and Aemilia Bassano is now Aemilia Lanyer, fallen from favor and married to a fool. Like the rest of London, she fears the plague. And when her son Henry takes ill, Aemilia will do anything to save him, even if it means seeking help from her estranged lover, Will--or worse, making a pact with the Devil himself. In rich, vivid detail, Sally O'Reilly breathes life into England's first female poet, a mysterious woman nearly forgotten by history. Full of passion and devilish schemes, Dark Aemilia is a tale worthy of the Bard. - For readers of Deborah Harkness, Paula Brackston, and Sarah Dunant"-- Provided by publisher.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Somewhat disappointing historical fiction submitted by eapearce on June 25, 2014, 11:21am As a big historical fiction fan--especially of Tudor-era historical fiction--I found Dark Aemilia to be a disappointment. The book lacked key details and moved at a strange pace; typically it was much too fast. The characters were not properly introduced, leading to confusion and a lack of true attachment to any particular one. Even taking into account the belief in witchcraft and magic that permeated much of England in the 16th century, the role that those themes played in the book were not reasonable or believable. I did enjoy the general storyline, and found some of the descriptions of 16th century London to be well-done and interesting. Overall, however, I would not recommend this book when there are so many other great historical fiction pieces on this era available.

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PUBLISHED
New York : Picador, 2014.
Year Published: 2014
Description: 436 p.
Language: English
Format: Book

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
9781250048134

SUBJECTS
Lanyer, Aemilia -- Fiction.
Shakespeare, William, -- 1564-1616 -- Fiction.
Women poets -- Fiction.
Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth, 1558-1603 -- Fiction.
Great Britain -- History -- James I, 1603-1625 -- Fiction.
Historical fiction.