Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Hamnet is a luminous, heart-wrenching novel that imagines the family life of William Shakespeare—though the playwright himself is never named. Set in Stratford-upon-Avon in the late 16th century, the story centers on his wife, Agnes (based on the historical Anne Hathaway), a gifted healer who is deeply connected to nature and intuition.

At its core, the book explores the grief surrounding the death of their only son, Hamnet, an 11-year-old twin who died in 1596, likely from bubonic plague. O'Farrell weaves between two timelines: the tender, vivid story of Agnes and William's courtship and marriage, and the devastating account of Hamnet's illness and death. In a powerful, imaginative leap, the novel suggests that Shakespeare's play Hamlet—written roughly four years later—was born directly from this profound loss.