Review: The Other Shakespeare by Lea Rachel

The Other Shakespeare

by Lea Rachel

Publisher: Writer's Design Press

Pages: 197

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  What if Shakespeare had been born a woman? What would have happened to her? And, what would she have accomplished?

Virginia Woolf first posed these questions in her acclaimed novel A Room of One’s Own…and now maverick author Lea Rachel steps up to tell the rest of the story.

The Other Shakespeare carries readers back to the sixteenth century to follow Judith Shakespeare, the older sister of William, as she tries to make a name for herself in a male-dominated society that consistently denies women their independence. Born with as much talent, creativity, and drive as her younger brother, she is stifled by the world around her and ultimately resorts to extreme measures to get accepted and have her talent recognized.


Kritters Thoughts:  William Shakespeare is the famous sibling, but this book centers around his older sister Judith and her struggle to find a place for herself within the confines of the social norms for women at the time.  

I love where this book started, 5 of the Shakespeare children are alive at the beginning and playing theatre in their backyard, it was the best place to start and show the history of how Judith would become so in love with theatre.  But the place where I got really attached with Judith was when she moves to London and isn't sure if this is the place for herself and then she finds her "people."  Seeing that growth and then her "inspiration" for Romeo and Juliet was awesome.  

I don't know much about Shakespeare and his childhood and past, which could have been a blessing and a curse while reading this book since I didn't have the truth to put this book up against.  This book definitely made me want to read some non fiction about the Shakespeare family.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from The Cadence Group.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.