It's interesting that this is a novel of an unknown within Shakespeare's circle. Of course, the main character in this novel is a fiction of the author's imagination. However, it's truly a rare find that Shakespeare the great artist / playwright plays second fiddle in this novel.
It's about Sam Gilburne. A farmer's son who has ambitions to make it big in the world of theatre under the great (though not exactly that great yet at the time of this tale) Shakespeare. During the time when no women are allowed to play women's roles; they are performed by boys who've yet to developed their post-puberty low octave voices. Sam Gilburne is one of them. Not the leading female role though. Most of his roles are minor roles.
In comes the heroine - Lucie Cheetham, the niece of Lord Essex, a favourite courtier of Queen Elizabeth. Same old storyline of the gap between the rich & the poor, the powerful vs the weak, the influential vs. a nobody, the cream of the crop vs. the weeds in the common field - but love is blind to status & wealth. Naturally the love pair did not have it easy, but they had Master Shakespeare on their side.
Eventually circumstances changed. The ones in favour ran out of favour and with a bit of drama (read for yourself!), the lovebirds finally got together. The End... Yea, unlike Master Shakespeare's works, this actually has a happy ending.
A good light read over a weekend. Must warn, it may be termed chick-lit to some.
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