New Book Alert Book Blast: The Dark Lady's Mask by Mary Sharratt

The Dark Lady's Mask by Mary Sharratt
Hardcover, e-book, audiobook, 416 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: April 19, 2016
ISBN: 0544300769
Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Blurb:

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.

The Dark Lady’s Mask will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in April 2016 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

Buy the Book: Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Hardcover) | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Get a taste for the book with this BOOK EXCERPT!!

Praise for The Dark Lady's Mask:

“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

Meet Mary Sharratt:

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.

Find Mary Sharratt: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Illuminations by Mary Sharatt & Giveaway

Illuminations by Mary Sharratt
Hard Cover, 288 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
October 9, 2012
★★★★★

Genre: Historical Fiction, Religious Fiction

Source: Received from author for review and also as part of HFVBT tour

“Illuminations chronicles the life of Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179), who was tithed to the church at the age of eight and expected to live out her days in silent submission as the handmaiden of a renowned but disturbed young nun, Jutta von Sponheim. Instead, Hildegard rejected Jutta’s masochistic piety and found comfort and grace in studying books, growing herbs, and rejoicing in her own secret visions of the divine. When Jutta died some three decades later, Hildegard broke out of her prison with the heavenly calling to speak and write about her visions and to liberate her sisters and herself from the soul-destroying anchorage.

Like Anita Diamant’s portrayal of Dinah in The Red Tent, Mary Sharratt interweaves historical research with psychological insight and vivid imagination to write an engaging and triumphant portrait of a courageous and remarkably resilient woman and the life she might have lived. Deeply affecting, Illuminations is a testament to the power of faith, love, and self-creation.”

This was one of those books that I wasn’t sure I would be into because of the subject matter. I have had bad luck in the past reading novels that are set essentially entirely in a nunnery/church/etc. I also had never heard of Hildegard von Bingen or Jutta von Sponheim. However, everyone I spoke with had nothing but great things to say about the book and highly recommended it. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed with this book.

Apparently a lot can happen within two small rooms with a high-walled courtyard and only a small screen to see out into the church. It was a very emotional novel - really getting into the mind of Hildegard, Jutta, and their other followers. There was a lot of drama between these girls – as you would expect across time and place with any group of women enclosed in a small space over a long period of time. Hildegard really grew as a character; I can’t say I always liked her or agreed with her, but when she set her mind to something she went for it – and that I admire. Unlike the other novels that I have read set in a church setting it was still engaging for the reader and not at all boring. Although the book was relatively short the way the novel was written it made it feel much longer.

Even only having a passing interest in religious figures and events I found the book very interesting. The pace of prose moved right along and the characters kept me connected to the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Christian subjects or really to anyone interested in a well written psychological story.

Author Mary Sharratt also has written several books including: Daughters of the Witching Hill and Vanishing Point. You can visit Sharratt’s website or blog for additional information about the book. If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

My reviews of other books by this author:

• Daughters of the Witching Hill

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Devourer of Books
• Burton Book Review

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

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You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour by visiting the HFVBT website or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #IlluminationsTour.

I also have a giveaway opportunity for all of you – one copy of Illuminations by Mary Sharratt.  It is open internationally!  Giveaway is open until October 27th.  Make your entries in the Rafflecopter below.  Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt

Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt
Hardcover, 352 pages
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
April 7, 2012
★★★★☆ 
 

Genre: Historical fiction

Source: Received from the author for review

“Daughters of the Witching Hill brings history to life in a vivid and wrenching account of a family sustained by love as they try to survive the hysteria of a witch-hunt.

Bess Southerns, an impoverished widow living in Pendle Forest, is haunted by visions and gains a reputation as a cunning woman. Drawing on the Catholic folk magic of her youth, Bess heals the sick and foretells the future. As she ages, she instructs her granddaughter, Alizon, in her craft, as well as her best friend, who ultimately turns to dark magic.

When a peddler suffers a stroke after exchanging harsh words with Alizon, a local magistrate, eager to make his name as a witch finder, plays neighbors and family members against one another until suspicion and paranoia reach frenzied heights.

Sharratt interweaves well-researched historical details of the 1612 Pendle witch-hunt with a beautifully imagined story of strong women, family, and betrayal. Daughters of the Witching Hill is a powerful novel of intrigue and revelation.”

Going in to reading Daughters of the Witching Hill I had never before heard of the Pendle Witches. I of course had heard of, and read widely, about the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, and had read some about various witch trials in England, but this particular group was unknown to me. Mary Sharratt does a fabulous job of initiating a novice into the basics of who these Pendle Witches were and what brought about their downfall.

While I found the story of the Pendle Witches to be not nearly as dramatic as those that surround the Salem Witches, I discovered that there seems to be a set of characteristics that typify these witch hunts/trials: they tend to be poor women from the outside of town, usually based on some type of grudge, and more often than not their spells and potions were types of religious prayers and homeopathic cures. One thing I always find interesting is how easily a town will turn on people they had traditionally went to for a cure when their horse was lame or their child was deathly ill. These were people that they obviously trusted and had developed a history as a person who could cure ills - however when bad news comes knocking at your door, the innate nature of self-preservation kicks in.

The first half of Sharratt’s book focuses on developing the characters of her witches and I surprisingly found them easy to make connections with. The second half deals with the unraveling of their life as accusations of witchcraft and their sham trials spiral out of control. This was a very fast read for me – read it in one day – and while it is not a high action novel – the drama of the daily life of these women pulls you in. There was one thing that I did not like about the novel – and I won’t go into much specifics because it might give the ending away – however I think the book would have been overall more enjoyable for me if the last chapter was omitted. It felt very out-of-sync with the rest of the novel and a little contrived. The information it contained would have possibly been better included into the afterward or an epilogue rather than as the last actual chapter.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

You can also watch the book trailer below.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Linus’s Blanket
• Booking Mama

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Mary Sharratt:

Illuminations
[My Review]

The Vanishing Point

The Real Minerva

The Dark Lady’s Mask

Summit Avenue

Find Mary Sharratt: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Copyright © 2012 by The Maiden’s Court