Love Disguised
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Will Shakespeare is about to meet the girl who will change his life forever. After a mixed-up courtship with the Hathaway sisters ends badly, Will jumps at the chance to go to London, where he can pursue his dream of becoming an actor. There, Will meets the unusually tall (and strong) Meg who has earned the nickname "Long Meg" for her height. She's also fleeing her own past as an orphan turned thief. Disguised as "Mack," Meg was once a member of a band of boy thieves who betrayed her. When Will is robbed by those same villains, Meg disguises herself as "Mack" again--telling Will that Mack is her twin brother--in order to help Will recover his money. As Mack, she finds true friendship with Will. But is there more? And who is Meg really fooling with her disguise?
What ensues is a tale involving love triangles, mistaken identities, and the pursuit of hapless villains, as Shakespeare becomes a key player in a lively drama that could have sprung from his own pen.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After Meg Macdougall loses both of her parents in a quick succession of tragedies, she takes up residence as a barmaid at the Boar's Head Inn, where she eventually meets a young Will Shakespeare. Will is just to London after being tricked by Anne Hathaway into having sex with her, believing Anne is her younger sister. Soon 15-year-old Meg and her friend Violetta get swept up into helping Will with his new play. After Will is robbed, Meg offers up the assistance of her (invented) twin brother, Mack, in avenging Will's honor and pocketbook. From there, Will and Mack (who is actually Meg in disguise) try to find the thieves and avoid jail on account of Will's father's debts. Klein's (Ophelia; Lady Macbeth's Daughter) prose is cheerful, lively, and full of historical and literary tidbits to delight Shakespeare fans, as Meg/Mack's relationship with Will vacillates between friendship and romance. Weaving fact with fiction, Klein's novel plays up her own Shakespearean wit and takes full advantage of her extensive knowledge of his life and plays. Ages 12 up.
