I received this book for free from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Dark Lady's Mask by Mary Sharratt
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date April 19, 2016
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour
Genres: Historical Fiction
Goodreads
Shakespeare in Love meets Shakespeare’s Sister in this novel of England’s first professional woman poet and her collaboration and love affair with William Shakespeare.
London, 1593. Aemilia Bassano Lanier is beautiful and accomplished, but her societal conformity ends there. She frequently cross-dresses to escape her loveless marriage and to gain freedoms only men enjoy, but a chance encounter with a ragged, little-known poet named Shakespeare changes everything.
Aemilia grabs at the chance to pursue her long-held dream of writing and the two outsiders strike up a literary bargain. They leave plague-ridden London for Italy, where they begin secretly writing comedies together and where Will falls in love with the beautiful country — and with Aemilia, his Dark Lady. Their Italian idyll, though, cannot last and their collaborative affair comes to a devastating end. Will gains fame and fortune for their plays back in London and years later publishes the sonnets mocking his former muse. Not one to stand by in humiliation, Aemilia takes up her own pen in her defense and in defense of all women.
The Dark Lady’s Mask gives voice to a real Renaissance woman in every sense of the word.
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Review
It is a brave author to tackle Shakespeare, let alone execute it well, and I believe Mary Sharratt succeeded in spades.
If I am to be honest, I was never a fan of Shakespeare, I’ve always been on the “not to be” spectrum, although I can never resist a novel that revolves around a woman behind a famous man and therefore decided to give The Dark Lady’s Mask a go.
I am so glad I did. Mary Sharrett’s writing struck me at once, it is elegant, fluid and makes the reader feel as if they are in the room observing the most intimate detail.
Because of this, we received a vivid portrait of Aemilia and despite the well-known figure in front of her Aemilia took center stage and her intelligence shone. I also liked that her story started at childhood and as a reader grew an even greater investment to the character.
The Dark Lady’s Mask didn’t spark a new interest in Shakespeare but nonetheless the novel is an art of poetry and a wonderful ode to Aemilia Bassano Lanier.
Advance Praise
“An exquisite portrait of a Renaissance woman pursuing her artistic destiny in England and Italy, who may — or may not — be Shakespeare’s Dark Lady.”
— MARGARET GEORGE, internationally bestselling author of Elizabeth I
“Perfectly chosen details and masterful characterization bring to life this swiftly moving, elegant story. As atmospheric and compelling as it is wise, The Dark Lady’s Mask is a gem not to be missed.”
— LYNN CULLEN, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and Twain’s End
“Mary Sharratt’s enchanting new novel, The Dark Lady’s Mask, is a richly imagined, intensely romantic and meticulously researched homage to lauded poet, Aemilia Bassano Lanyer, an accomplished woman of letters who many believe to be Shakespeare’s Eternal Muse. Sharratt unfolds a captivating tale, a compelling ‘what if ’ scenario, of a secret union that fed the creative fires of England’s greatest poet and playwright.”
— KATHLEEN KENT, bestselling author of The Heretic’s Daughter
“Mary Sharratt is a magician. This novel transports the reader to Elizabethan England with a tale of the bard and his love that is nothing short of amazing. Absorbing, emotional, historically fascinating. A work of marvelous ingenuity!”
— M.J. ROSE, New York Times bestselling author of The Witch of Painted Sorrows
“I enjoyed this exciting fantasy of Shakespeare’s ‘dark lady.’ There was adventure, betrayal, resilience, and above all, the fun notion that Shakespeare might have had far more than a muse to help him create his wonderful plays.”
—KARLEEN KOEN, bestselling author of Dark Angels and Before Versailles
“Through the story of Aemilia Bassano, a talented musician and poet, Mary Sharratt deftly tackles issues of religious and gender inequality in a time of brutal conformity. The Dark Lady’s Mask beautifully depicts the exhilaration and pitfalls of subterfuge, a gifted woman’s precarious reliance on the desires of powerful men, and the toll paid by unrecognized artistic collaborators. Resonant and moving.”
—MITCHELL JAMES KAPLAN, author of By Fire, By Water
“In The Dark Lady’s Mask, Mary Sharratt seduces us with a most tantalizing scenario —that the bold, cross-dressing poet and feminist writer Aemilia Bassano is Shakespeare’s mysterious muse, the Dark Lady. Romantic, heart-breaking, and rich in vivid historical detail and teeming Elizabethan life, the novel forms an elegant tapestry of the complexities, joys, and sorrows of being both a female and an artist.”
—KAREN ESSEX, author of Leonardo’s Swans and Dracula in Love
“Mary Sharratt has created an enchanting Elizabethan heroine, a musician, the orphaned daughter of a Jewish Italian refugee who must hide her heritage for her safety. Taken up by powerful men for her beauty, Amelia has wit and daring and poetry inside her that will make her a match for young Will Shakespeare himself and yet she must hide behind many masks to survive in a world where women have as much talent as men but little power.”
— STEPHANIE COWELL, author of Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet
“Prepare to be swept away by Mary Sharratt’s latest foray into historical fiction. Inspired by the true story of poet, Aemilia Bassano, THE DARK LADY’S MASK explores her relationship with William Shakespeare. Richly detailed and well researched, this lush tale brings Aemilia out of the shadows of history and let’s her emerge as one of the founding mothers of literature. Drama, intrigue, and romance will have readers racing through this brilliant celebration of the muse.”
— PAMELA KLINGER-HORN, Sales & Outreach Coordinator, Excelsior Bay Books
About the Author
MARY SHARRATT is an American writer who has lived in the Pendle region of Lancashire, England, for the past seven years. The author of the critically acclaimed novels Summit Avenue, The Real Minerva, and The Vanishing Point, Sharratt is also the co-editor of the subversive fiction anthology Bitch Lit, a celebration of female antiheroes, strong women who break all the rules.
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Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, April 19
Review & Giveaway at Unshelfish
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Wednesday, April 20
Review at A Bookish Affair
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Excerpt & Giveaway at A Literary Vacation
Thursday, April 21
Review at A Book Drunkard
Guest Post at A Bookish Affair
Interview at Books and Benches
Friday, April 22
Review & Giveaway at History Undressed
Monday, April 25
Review at Seize the Words: Books in Review
Tuesday, April 26
Review at With Her Nose Stuck In A Book
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
Wednesday, April 27
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Thursday, April 28
Review at Just One More Chapter
Friday, April 29
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Saturday, April 30
Review at Queen of All She Reads
Monday, May 2
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review at Cynthia Robertson, writer
Tuesday, May 3
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Wednesday, May 4
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Thursday, May 5
Excerpt & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More
Friday, May 6
Review at Book Nerd
Monday, May 9
Review at A Dream within a Dream
Tuesday, May 10
Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews
Wednesday, May 11
Review at Puddletown Reviews
Thursday, May 12
Review & Giveaway at View from the Birdhouse
Friday, May 13
Review at First Impressions Reviews
Excerpt at Layered Pages
Monday, May 16
Review at A Book Geek
Tuesday, May 17
Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, May 18
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective
Thursday, May 19
Review & Giveaway at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
Friday, May 20
Review at Broken Teepee
Great Cover Art on this one — putting it on my list.
Thank you so much for your review! I’m so glad that you found The Dark Lady’s Mask a fitting tribute to Aemilia Bassano Lanier! My intention with this book was to write her back into history and make her life and work accessible for modern readers.
It was my pleasure! I think you did a great job bringing her her out of the dark.