★★★★★

Are you into historical dramas, Shakespeare and everything Ye Olde? If you are, then the award-winning novel Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell might just be your next perfect read. 

The book follows Hamnet, the 11-year old son of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway tracking the beginning of their marriage and delving into the dynamics of the Shakespeare family - following William’s early successes on the London stage. 

The writing is fluid, often achingly realistic - you can imagine pores on skin, the scent of smoky fires, ripe apples and woody, sweet medicinal brews wafting out of timber-framed windows. It also tends, at times, to have a rambling internal monologue quality about it, as characters let us in on their silent thoughts. We see them as vulnerable and relatable - not an easy thing to do with people that lived 400 years ago. 

The book is based on true people and events, but there are gaps in our historical knowledge. O'Farrell has done a great job in giving the characters realism and weaving together the facts we do have into a fully believable account that not only entertains but raises questions for us, in our own time, too.

Without giving away any spoilers, this book is about family bonds, it's about grief and heartbreak and how we react in different ways. Some stay in denial, looking out for the person we've lost, in shadows and doorways, while others lash out angrily and then there are the ones who write. 

Be prepared - it's a bit of a tearjerker but once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. 

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Catch Jo on social at @lovebritishhistorypics