By Any Other Name
The page-turning new novel from the multi-million copy bestselling author, an instant New York Times Number 1 bestseller
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4.7 • 14 Ratings
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
The Number 1 New York Times bestseller from the author of My Sister’s Keeper and Mad Honey
'Her best one yet’ JOJO MOYES
'A timeless classic’ CHRIS WHITAKER
Student playwright Melina Green finds that even in New York, her words will struggle to make the stage, when the power is held by men. Inspired by the life of her ancestor Emilia Bassano, a gifted and witty storyteller herself, Melina takes a lesson from history, and submits a play under a male pseudonym . . .
As Melina discovers more of Emilia’s extraordinary life in Elizabethan England, she is determined to right the wrongs of the past – and finally tell her story.
Two women – centuries apart – are both forced to hide behind another name.
But can either make their voices heard?
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'A likeable heroine and a fun, readable evocation of Elizabethan court life and theatre' The Times
'Stunning. So interesting, clever, educational and moving. One of the best books I've read in recent times' GILLIAN McALLISTER
'[An] inspiring work of feminist literature' ELLE
'Had me absolutely captivated . . . I loved all the questions this novel raised about who gets to tell which stories and how complex that can become. Jodi Picoult is a genius' JENNIFER SAINT
'Timely and affecting . . . Picoult’s many, many fans will pounce on her latest incisive, pot-stirring tale' BOOKLIST, Starred
'You’ll fall in love with Emilia Bassano, the unforgettable heroine based on a real woman that Picoult brings vividly to life. Book clubs will embrace this rich, inspiring story' KRISTIN HANNAH
'A blend of historical fiction and modern-day settings, the novel gives us timelines that intertwine and surprise. Picoult has done her research' HARPER'S BAZAAR
'Picoult creates a richly detailed portrait of daily life in Elizabethan England, from sumptuous castles to seedy hovels. . . A vibrant tale of a remarkable woman' KIRKUS
Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestseller, April 2023
Jodi Picoult's books have sold 40 million copies worldwide, BBC May 2024
Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestseller, September 2024
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Two women across five centuries struggle to be heard in this affecting drama from best-selling novelist Jodi Picoult. At the dawn of the 2020s, Melina Green is a struggling young playwright trying to break into London’s boy’s club theatre scene with a play based on her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano, whom she believes is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays. In the late 16th century, Emilia is a writer at a time when women are barely allowed to learn to read and must hide her identity by allowing a man to take credit for her words. Unfortunately, things haven’t changed much for Mel. Picoult cleverly illustrates the similarities between the two women’s situations while immersing us in each century’s cultures and biases. We were frustrated by Mel’s dilemma and heartbroken by the trials and tribulations Emilia goes through. By Any Other Name is a relatable and moving read, and another strong entry in Picoult’s admirable body of work.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Picoult (Wish You Were Here) offers a stimulating if muddled parallel narrative of two women writers, each of whose work is credited to a man. In 1582, poet Emilia Bassano becomes consort to Lord Hunsdon, Queen Elizabeth's Lord Chamberlain. At the time, women were forbidden to have anything to do with the theater, but when Emilia crosses paths with William Shakespeare, he's impressed with her work and agrees to pay for the sonnets and plays she's secretly written if he can take credit for them. Thus begins a working relationship that spans decades. In the present day, Emilia's descendant Melina Green writes a play about Emilia and Shakespeare, but fears she won't be able to get it produced after being told that people only relate to plays by men. Unbeknownst to Melina, her roommate, Andre, submits the play to a fringe festival under the pseudonym Mel Green, leading the artistic director to assume the writer is a man. After the play is accepted, Andre poses as Mel during the production, with Melina pretending to be his assistant. The Elizabethan sections, which follow Emilia through an unhappy marriage as the work she wrote for Shakespeare receives acclaim, are the strongest. In comparison, Picoult's depictions of racism and sexism in the contemporary theater world are a bit simplistic. It's a mixed bag.
