FREE: Swan Town: The Secret Journal of Susanna Shakespeare [Audio CD] by Michael J. Ortiz

The listing, Swan Town: The Secret Journal of Susanna Shakespeare [Audio CD] by Michael J. Ortiz has ended.

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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10–Written as the diary of Shakespeares eldest child, this story gives a human face to the Elizabethan genius who changed the course of theatrical history. Rich with details about 16th-century home life in Stratford and theatrical conditions in London, the novel relates the story both of Susannas feisty determination to be more than a common country maid and of the development of her relationship with Dr. John Hall, the man she eventually marries. Susannas actual epitaph, which states that she was witty above her sexe, forms the basis of this fictional account. Bored with her simple life, Susanna yearns for adventure and dreams of seeing The Parrots King, a play that she has written, performed at her fathers theatre. While on a visit to London, she persuades the Globes clown to allow her and her timid sister, Judith, to present her play as a prologue to her fathers premiere of Hamlet. This puts her in great danger when the crowd turns on her plays antimonarchial sentiments. Standard biographical facts are carefully woven into Susannas entries, dating from March 2, 1597 to January 1, 1598, and the text is filled with references from Shakespeares plays. However, this journal focuses on the personal side of the Bards life. A good deal of emphasis is placed on the possibility that Shakespeare and his family were Roman Catholics. This circumstance adds tension, intrigue, and a political dimension to the story. The books well-written prose will serve as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare, with its historical details providing a good background of Elizabethan society. Its real strength, however, is that of Susannas forceful character, enabling readers to make a personal connection with a classic writer.–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
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