Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

 

It takes a while to get into the rhythm of this novel.  Scenes from past and present are interspersed so the characters keep appearing at different stages of their lives, and without prior knowledge that it was to be an imagined story of the lives of two famous historical people I wonder how long it would have taken me to work it out. 

Maggie O’Farrell’s imagination is a thing of wonder.  She brings sixteenth century England to  life vividly and the reader easily and quickly becomes immersed in all of its sights, sounds and smells. Agnes is a fabulous creature with her kestrel on her shoulder, her long braided hair falling below her waist and her healing powers through her knowledge of herbal medicines, and I particularly loved the portrayal of her (unnamed) husband; he is a real person to me now and that is how I will think of him from now on.

We visited the ‘plague village’ in England years ago which was a fascinating history lesson and to me it is very clever how Maggie O’Farrell puts a flea on a ship in Alexandria and follows its path of destruction all the way to England. She really is a brilliant writer.

And then there is Hamnet, a beautiful little boy around whom the story revolves.

This is a fascinating, immensely satisfying book. Maggie O’Farrell is a genius! 5 out of 5.

Published by Tinder Press.