SHAKESPEARE’S DAUGHTER

A lively fictional account of Susanna, the eldest child of Will Shakespeare. Blessed with her father’s wit and a pure soprano, 14-year-old Susanna longs to sing, and the choir at Stratford allows her little. When her adorable small brother Hamnet dies, she resolves to go to London to experience her father’s life, and to find a place where her voice might be heard. She is also captivated by Tom Cole, a chorister who practices his Catholic faith in secret. Hassinger plays intriguingly with what is known about this time and place: Shakespeare is uneasy with his family and distracted; the dark lady Emilia plays an important role; Susanna’s mother Anne is a tightly wound woman tied to her home place. The musician William Byrd and the persecution of Catholics fuel a dénouement that finds Susanna and her Tom going off to Italy, where both can sing freely. There’s spirited talk about language, theater, and most especially about music, and the plot elopes with ease. (Historical fiction. 10+)