Review: Hamnet: A Novel of the Plague by Maggie O'Farrell

 Greetings Lit Loves,

This month the book club I attend here in Cary, North Carolina selected to read the book titled Hamnet:  A Novel of the Plague by Maggie O'Farrell which became a national bestseller.  This book takes a fictional look at the life and death of Shakespeare's only son, Hamnet, who died at age eleven in 1596.  Interestingly, the book additionally takes a look at Shakespeare's dysfunctional family inclusive of an alcoholic father who can be abusive to his wife and children and his mother, Mary, who tends to the family home in Stratford, Warwickshire England.  Shakespeare, in this book, was depicted as having a sister named Eliza and several brothers as well.  The book opens with Shakespeare as a Latin tutor of pupils in his hometown and also his courting his eventual wife, Anne or Agnes, Hathaway who grew up learning the medicinal value of herbs, flowers, and plants from her biological mom and a contentious relationship much later with her stepmother, Joan.

Obviously, Shakespeare and Agnes marry to the dismay of both their families.  Agnes's brother, Bartholomew, is the one family member with whom she has a lifelong connection as he helps broker a deal such that Agnes and Shakespeare will have an apartment above Shakespeare's parents' home as opposed to living directly with them.  Agnes and Shakespeare go on to have three children including Susanna and later, Hamnet and Judith who are fraternal twins.  Agnes works with local townspeople who come to her home for tinctures and solvents for their various heath problems.  Eventually, Shakespeare leaves his family to extend his father's embroidered glove business in London, but really, he begins to write and stage plays in London.  While he is away, Judith falls ill with symptoms of the plague and a letter is sent to Shakespeare to come home directly.  Judith recovers and it is Hamnet, the son, who eventually dies of the plague.  Shakespeare does make it back home, but it is too late to say goodbye to his son.  He does participate in the burial of his son.  Following the burial, Shakespeare leaves once again to write and stage plays in London.  Eventually, he becomes so successful as a writing and staging plays that he buys his family a sizeable home and land in Stratford, Warwickshire England.  And he additionally goes on to write the play, Hamlet, which is often thought to be a tribute to his son, Hamnet.

I think this book demonstrates how easily a plague or pandemic can begin and spread like wildfire.  It also deals with the obvious issue of death, but also how people cope differently with the death of a loved one.  Agnes, Hamnet's mother, falls into a silent stupor and becomes reclusive.  Hamnet's fraternal twin, Judith, is emotionally traumatized by her brother's death and also is left wondering why she lived and he died of the plague.  Susanna, Shakespeare's oldest child, follows her paternal grandmother's lead by getting back to all of life's regular chores.  And Shakespeare copes through being away from his family and writing a play of great tragedy.

It is also interesting to notice the rituals involved when someone dies.  In this book, Hamnet  dies and his mother and grandmother prepare his body by first washing it with oils and water.  Then the body is placed in a powder white shroud which is stitched together once it is draped on the deceased's body.  All this occurs as Hamnet lies on the frame of a door which will be utilized to transport him through town to his burial ground.  Hamnet's mother even cuts a lock of his hair which she then keeps in a jar which resides on a mantel in the apartment.  Additionally, Agnes places lavender and other herbs and flowers around his body as he is readied for burial.  She is comforted that his burial site is beside a river as Hamnet loved water.  Hamnet's sister, Judith, decorates a portion of an attic space in the cookhouse where she and her brother used to hide from the rest of the family.  

Finally, this book displays the often strong bonds among siblings especially Agnes and her brother, Bartholomew.  Bartholomew looks out for his sister when she is married by ensuring she and Shakespeare have a small place of their own built above his parents' home that is completely for the two of them and their family.  Bartholomew is the one who finds Agnes and where she decided to go and have her first child, Susanna.  It was a place where they hid and played as children themselves.  Bartholomew is the one who consoles Agnes at the death of Hamnet and urges her to prepare his body for eventual burial.  And finally, Bartholomew is the one who Shakespeare asks to locate and buy a private, large home with land for his family.

I thought this was an excellent book.  I certainly thought the author depicted the time period and characters well through most likely diligent research.  It was not an easy read for me, especially the part where Hamnet dies and is buried, as it reminded me of the suffering my own family experienced when my father died.  And the book gave me some insight into the probable everyday life and experiences of Shakespeare and why he became the famous person that he will always be.  I highly recommend this book.

Till my next review,

Grace  (Amy)