I've read a few books by Jodi Picoult before so I know to expect a powerful and emotional book. This definitely was a powerful book but I feel it is some what different from previous books I've read by this author so was not necessarily what I expected but I absolutely loved it. By Any Other Name is told in a dual timeline. The current time line follows playwright Melina who is trying to get her play recognised and promoted despite facing varying levels of misogyny and other difficulties. She discovers her ancestor was Emelia Bassano, one of the first published female poets and the subject of many rumours that she may have written works attributed to Shakespeare. Whilst Melina uses this as inspiration for her play and works to get it produced the second timeline goes back to the 1500s and follows Emila's life. Jodi Picoult has clearly done a huge amount of research for this book. She brilliantly weaves fact and fiction to really bring this historical character to life in a beautiful way. There is an abundance of Shakespeare references throughout as well. I only have a basic knowledge of his plays but enjoyed spotting the links throughout the book but I am sure those with greater knowledge than me will appreciate this even more. There is a handy guide a the back that references all these as well. This was a really great historical fiction that I will definitely be recommending

I’ve always been a massive fan of Jodi Picoult’s - I was really excited to see her tackle Shakespeare and the theory that he may only have leant his name to his plays. The dual timeline serves to show both how far women have progressed and yet how far there we still have to go. I loved the Shakespearean references littered throughout this book, the explanations for his inspiration were beautiful. I think I could have read this book with just Emilia. This felt very different from from Jodi Picoult’s other books, no plot twists or legal drama but it was more a more subtle, thought provoking read.

A completely different style of writing from Jodi Picoult and she has excelled with this dual-timeline novel. The starry is based on a real woman from the 1500s and there are many theories about her writing most of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. Picoult has done a huge amount of research and her writing is immaculate. This will be a huge hit, I’m sure.

This was my first book by Jodi Picoult and I loved it!

By Any Other Name is a historical novel with two timelines, one in the 1500s and the second a current timeline, ending slightly in the future in 2027. The two timelines have a very clear link and you discover this early in the book. Both timelines follow a woman. The 1500s timeline follows the adult life of Emilia Bassano and the current timeline is the story of Melina Green. I liked each storyline equally and the link between the two, with the overarching storyline is fascinating, well written, tackles some serious issues and is a very enjoyable read.

As with all of the best historical fiction, in my opinion, I am not quite sure where fact ends and fiction takes over. The author included an extensive list of sources, so clearly there is some factual basis for the novel.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF (20%) - This was a departure from what I usually enjoy, and unfortunately, I wasn't able to get into it. This being my first encounter with Picoult's work, I had different expectations. The book heavily incorporates elements of historical fiction, poetry, and Shakespeare, which didn't resonate with my personal tastes. It's clear that this book caters to an audience with a preference for these themes, but they simply aren't my cup of tea. For those who appreciate these literary styles, it might be a more engaging read.

Thank you to Random House for my advanced copy.

I loved reading a different perspective of Shakespeare's work and loved reading about Emilia's life and the role of women from her time. Also seeing how Emilia's narrative was building up Melina's narrative was really exciting because of the expectations from Melina's life.

As a Jodi Picoult fan this was not what I expected

I LOVED IT

I was totally unaware of the background to this wonderful story and was referring to Google to check facts. I’ve discussed this with many of my peers and they too were unaware and look forward to this book being published

A terrific read that I’d highly recommend and I’m giving it one of my rare 5*

With thanks to the publisher and author for ARC in return for an honest review

How charmed a life: to play at being a woman yet take off the costume at the end of the day and go about the world with the privileges of a man.’ So thinks Emilia Bassano, mistress of Elizabeth 1’s Lord Chamberlain, Henry, Lord Hunsdon. Whilst well treated by this much older man, she is entirely reliant on him for everything and, understandably, resentful of this.
Jodi Picoult has used this woman from history to explore the well-scrutinised premise that William Shakespeare was not author of the plays which bear his name. The author has clearly researched elements of life in Elizabethan England thoroughly and presented the reader with a clever woman who loves to write and observe. Picoult’s suggestion that Emilia finds an ally of sorts in Christopher Marlowe, a recognised rebel and fellow ‘outsider’, works well in tying the sixteenth century thread of this novel to its twenty-first century counterpart.
Skip several hundred years and, in contemporary New York, Emilia’s descendent, Melina Green, is keen to become heard and recognised as a playwright. However, she, too, is beset by misogynistic critics, keen to champion male rather than female writers. How to publish? Her flatmate may just have the answer.
Emilia’s story is fascinating and very well told. It is also fun to recognise the many literary references to Shakespeare and other Elizabethan writers. However, readers don’t need to know these to enjoy the narrative. In comparison, the modern day Melina sections, whilst tackling important themes, are less compelling.
My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I have to admit, this is my first time reading anything by Jodi Picoult. I know, I know – late to the party. But what do they say? Better late than never, something like that.

Two timelines are so trendy these days... I have to say this feature did this book a favour. Historical one, a view through the eyes of Emilia, a contemporary of the famous Shakespeare. Her life was rocky one, from the beginning to the end as for so many women of her time.

It is a very interesting and important topic the author picked, allowing the invisible women, whose words we read today, to become visible.

The second timeline picks up nowadays, and another woman with different and yet similar struggles, who creates a play based on the before mentioned Emilia. We read, what she wrote, what she wrote, but we all thought he wrote. A bit of simulacrum here. To a point, one’s starting to question a lot of things that happened in the past. It doesn’t help I coincidentally listen to the series of audiobooks by Alexandra Walsh and her take on Tudor’s history and women within it (The Marquess House Saga). Given the somewhat overlapping timeline, I couldn’t but notice how certain themes are the same/similar spoken in the books by two different authors.

Giving women voice and visibility, who cannot do themselves, as only their work prevails is an important task. Even more so, if we assumed that the work was done not by them… I know it’s a work of fiction, however it does have some weight of truth in it. I’m sure we all could find examples that would match this story, if only we look hard enough.

I am so surprised by how much I enjoyed By Any Other Name. I have read every Jodi Picoult novel, and am a big fan of hers, however her last couple of releases have been hard work for me. I've never got on well with anything Shakespeare related and on the many viewings of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth in school I would have my head in my own book instead. For those reasons I was concerned if I was going to enjoy this next read from Jodi. I'm pleased to report I needn't have been concerned, because it was brilliant. The 'dated' parts of the story were so much easier to read than other works set at that time, and the story just so interesting. I now have an interest in Shakespeare history!

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

Another fabulous title by the author and an almost what if ?
Dual timeline 1581 and now , two women , Emilia Bassano and Melina Green.
It's a really good storyline for both times which when I read dual timelines I usually prefer one to the other.
Both strong women finding their way .

I will start by declaring Jodi is already one of my favourite ever authors but when I read this was going to be split between historical and contemporary I was sceptical if it would keep my attention.
But I loved this story.
I was captivated from the start. Emilia may possibly be the strongest heroine I have read about and while Melina is in a whole new world, she still faces some of the same struggles.
The way Jodi intertwined their stories was nothing short of magical.
This story will stay with me a long time and I am grateful I had the chance to read it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an earc of this story. My review and opinion of this novel has not been influenced.

I was so excited to be given the opportunity to read an advance reading copy of By Any Other Name by Jodie Picoult.

The book has two strands, one recently set in New York and is Melina’s story and the oother in Elizabethan England is Emilia’s story.

Emilia Bassano’s family were Royal court musicians and she spent time at Court before becoming a ward of a Duchess who ensured she was educated. Emilia’s life has twists and turns, but the one constant was her passion for writing. But, she had the misfortune of being born a woman in Elizabethan England, and despite the Queen of England being a woman, there were few opportunities of women living at that time. Emilia had to write in secret and find creative ways of getting her work to an audience and collaborate with established male writers of the time including Shakespeare.

The second thread of the story is that of Melina Green, a descendent of Emilia Bassano, herself an aspiring writer in New York. Melina writes a play based on the life of Emilia Lanier nee Bassano. Even though four hundred and fifty years have passed, opportunities for women in theatre are still limited.

This was a page-turner. I loved the parallel stories, the similarities and the Shakespeare quotes. I loved Emilia’s story and I’ve gone on to read more about Emilia Lanier. As with all of Picoult’s books this was really well researched.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, for making the e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I loved this book overall, to see women in the Shakespearean era, I loved jumping between the two timelines.

Absolutely stunning! Moving between Elizabethan England and modern day Manhattan, By Any Other Name is a beautifully written, compelling novel that explores the theme of identity and the ways in which two women, centuries apart—one of whom might just be the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—are both forced to hide behind another name to make their voices heard. This book bursts from the first page like a horse at the gate and never stops running. It’s a wild ride.
A page-turner from a stunning writer. I adored it beyond words I adored this !

There was once a girl who became invisible so that her words might not be.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult is a proper page turner and shines a torch on the lack of women's voices through history. She is a master at creating characters you root for and I was equally invested in both Emilia's and Melina's timelines.

I was intrigued when I read the blurb of this book because I had heard rumours previously that Shakespeare wasn't really the author of his plays but I had never looked any deeper into it. When I opened By Any Other Name part of me was expecting Shakespeare to be feature as prominantly in the book as Emilia, and it was a pleasant surprise that he was more of a peripheral character.

Emilia Bassano is given no say other the direction her life takes, no voice of her own. A woman is on the throne but even she has to tread carefully to appease the men in her sphere. As mistress to the Lord Chamberlain Emilia does however have access to the world of the theatre. She realises that no one is going to listen to a woman's words unless they do not know they belong to a woman.

"Women were not allowed to write for the stage. At the very least, playwrighting could lead to scandal and ostracism for a woman's entire family. At the worst, it could land her in jail."

What really struck me in Emilia's timeline was that even those men who professed to love her were not be fully relied on. She was bought and sold and let down by almost all of them in one way or another. Her only allies are women, women who like her lack agency and have to create their own ways to gain some sway in their lives.

Melina once aspired to be a playwright in New York, but its hard when no one is willing to her what you have to say unless you are a man. Then she discovers that her relative Emilia Bassano was not only the first published poet, but also potentially the real playwright behind Shakespeare's work. Melina is inspired to write a play based on her ancestor's work but soon decides that her voice may not be the best one to tell the story.

"Because the deeper she had dug while researching her ancestor, the more certain she had become that Emilia Bassano was not only the first published poet in England. She might vey well have been a playwright too.

The playwright actually. The most famous one in history."

By Any Other Name was richly detailed and impossible to put down. I didn't just read about Emilia's life, I felt like I lived it with her. This book was filled with feminist fire and truth about the hardships women can face before they even try to do something.

"Being a woman means being told to speak up for yourself in one breath, and to shut up in the next. It means fighting all the fucking time."

By Any Other Name is definitely a firm favourite of mine and will be added to my forever bookcase.

"Escape may not be possible in my lifetime. Mayhap I am like the bird, beating against the window for naught. But you or your daughter, or your daughter's daughter - may be the one to fly through the hole."

Well done Jodi Picoult! This book is an absolute triumph. Feminism and women’s rights laid bare. The way the history and the present are woven together is quite magical. The main female characters, in both time lines, are amazing women. It takes a lot to stand up for yourself and be heard in this patriarchal world. The truth behind Shakespeare’s plays and their actual writers will probably never be solved, but I hope this book holds truths of the real past.
I found myself laughing and crying at this book. There are some moments of pure comedy, but also some painful reminders of how powerless and down trodden women were in Shakespearean times.
Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the pre release copy of this book. It’s one I will remember and recommend for a long time to come.
I wish I could rate this book 10 stars, but as the scale only goes to 5, that will have to do.

This novel is about two female playwrights and the challenges they face in their professional and private lives as women. One of the main characters, Melina, is a contemporary playwright, and the other one, Emilia Bassano, is based on the real life poet with the same name. Their stories share parallels in some ways.

The topics and the themes of the novel are relevant, engaging and fresh. I particularly found Emilia’s story to be very deserving to be told. She is a compelling and complex character who has agency - who gains more agency. The details about what her life and the period she lived in might be like were interesting.

I found it a bit hard get into the story at the start - I am not the best audience for Melina’s story, The tone, the dialogue and the plot did not feel entirely plausible to me, and I tend to prefer unique and nuanced writing styles. When it comes Emilia’s story, the plot, the execution of it, the dialogue and the characters appealed to me thanks to the nuances and layers. I am sure because this is a historical fiction and whether the resources consulted suffice to arrive at the conclusions the book is making, and the historical accuracy will be discussed by many experts in the relevant fields. Though, as a reader, first, I find these aspects to be of secondary importance for the readers, because women writers, artists, playwrights, scientists, inventors, pioneers, women in all fields, have been robbed of their recognition, success, wealth, prestige, health for centuries, and it is nice to see female characters who are successful writers.

This is a long book, which obviously required so much work by the writer, and everyone involved in the publishing process of it. Thank you for making this feminist and life-affirming novel come to life.

I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan and this is another brilliant read from her.. She never fails to challenge sensitive topics and you end up questioning what you would do in the present day.. Set in the time of Shakespeare and present day I couldn’t put this book down. An absolute 5 star read.

I enjoyed the dual narrative: Emilia in the 16th/17th century and Melina - Emilia's descendent - in modern times.

So if Shakespeare didn't write his plays and poetry, who did? An interesting idea and one that has been speculated over in past years and still has people talking.

Overall, I appreciated the 'easter eggs' littered throughout the novel. But I have read quite a few 'Shakespearean' plays and poems and I am not sure all readers would have the same experience even though the allusions were of the more obvious or well-known sections.

At times, I felt the narrative is somewhat unconvincing or perhaps slighty clumsy in expression - some metaphors just didn't work for me.

Ultimately, quite a different Jodi Piccoult but definitely worth a read if you enjoy historical fiction, novels centred around strong female characters or Shakespearean history.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.