A Rose by Any Other Name
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- £5.49
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- £5.49
Publisher Description
'A delightfully impish heroine . . . a tempestuous erotic connection . . . a captivating imagining of the life of the Dark Lady, the illusive inspiration for Shakespeare's later sonnets' Publishers Weekly (starred review)
My name has only been whispered, heretofore...
England, 1591. Rose Rushe's passion for life runs deep-she loves mead and music, meddles with astrology, and laughs at her mother's warnings to guard her reputation. When Rose's father dies and a noble accuses her and her dear friend Cecely of witchcraft, they flee to the household of respected alchemists in London.
But as their bond deepens, their sanctuary begins to feel more like a cage. To escape, they turn to the occult, secretly casting charms and selling astrological advice in the hopes of building a life together. This thriving underground business leads Rose to fair young noble Henry and playwright Will Shakespeare, and so begins a brief, tempestuous, and powerful romance-one filled with secret longings and deep betrayals.
In this world of dazzling masques and decadent feasts, where the stars decide futures, Rose will write her own fate instead.
'Mary McMyne is a magician' Gregory Maguire, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
McMyne (The Book of Gothel) brings rich creativity, feminist sensibility, and a meticulous grounding in history to her captivating imagining of the life of the Dark Lady, the illusive inspiration for Shakespeare's later sonnets. Hedonist Rose Rushe is more interested in becoming a court musician than preparing for marriage. Rose's astrologer father's unexpected death and an accusation of witchcraft by a powerful noble leads her to flee with her mother and her dearest friend, Cecely, to the household of an old friend of her father, whom they discover has also just died. His heir, Richard Underhill, becomes obsessed with Rose, and her mother hopes to encourage a proposal. Meanwhile, Rose attempts to secure independence by finding her mother's estranged family in London's brothels. This quest leads her into a tempestuous erotic connection with the young poet Will Shakespeare, an introduction to his friend Henry Wriothesley, third Earl of Southampton, and, eventually, a secret career as a witch. Rose's secret romantic devotion to Cecely forms the central love story, but her sensual enthusiasm for and emotional resonance with Will also shines. Rose is a delightfully impish heroine, steeped in music, magic, and a deep urge toward self-determination. McMyne centers Rose's challenges and successes while weaving her seamlessly into a satisfying alternate history that fits the facts without being limited by them. This is an impressive feat.
