By Any Other Name

 By: Jodi Picoult

Location: FIC PIC

Genre: Historical Fiction

"There once was a girl who became invisible so that her words might not be".

"There once was a girl: both a beginning, and an end. There was poetry that, once spoken, could not be unheard. There was a story, whether or not others ever chose to listen."

"By Any Other Name" weaves together the lives of Emilia Bassano, a historical figure some believe to be the true author of many of Shakespeare's plays, and the fictional Melina Green, a contemporary playwright facing marginalization due to her gender. Jodi Picoult bravely explores the controversial idea that the real Shakespeare might have been a woman, fully aware of the backlash she may receive.- Keerin!

In 1581, Emilia Bassano is allowed no voice of her own. But as the Lord Chamberlain's mistress she has access to the theatre and finds a way to bring her work to the stage secretly. But creating some of the world's greatest dramatic masterpieces comes at a cost: by paying a man for the use of his name, she will write her own out of history. His name? William Shakespeare.

In present day Manhattan, playwright Melina Green has written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. Although the challenges are different four hundred years later, the playing field is still not level for women in theatre. Is Melina—like Emilia—willing to forfeit her credit as author, to see her work performed?

Review by Nilufer

Overall, this is a fresh, thought-provoking, well-researched, and heartfelt novel creating bridges between different timelines to honor each woman who wouldn’t get the praise they earn and whose voices, creative works, and aspiring efforts should be known by the world. Especially Melanie’s storyline piqued my interest and made me connect with both characters easily. Definitely a must-read for the author’s devoted fans like me and any reader who is looking for inspirational women’s fiction!

Jodi Picoult did it again! She created an inspiring, sentimental women’s fiction blended with historical fiction, powerful feminism, and diverse vibes, intercepting the stories of two women who are not connected by DNA but share the same fate. As two storytellers/aspiring writers try to make their voices heard in a man’s competitive universe, they are forced to write under male pseudonyms to have their works produced. Even though there are five centuries between the timelines, it seems nothing has changed with the power of white male privilege. Not only women but also entire diverse LGBTQ+ writers need to be equally represented, struggling to find their places in the arts just like in any other business industry.

In the present time, we are introduced to Melina Green, who has an estranged relationship with her still-grieving father after the death of her mother. She is trying to make her voice heard and to be seen with the creative words she puts on paper. Her experiences with men who wanted to take advantage of her, including her mentor at a writing program, start to break her optimism to be part of the theater industry in the Big Apple.

When a chance appears to submit her play, her roommate Andre encourages her to do so after they both get drunk and apply under a male name, Mel. Her play turns into the winner of the contest, and her path recrosses with the harsh critic Jasper, who unfairly broke her enthusiasm for her previous play with his biased opinions. There is also another judgmental producer on the board who prevents her from telling the truth about her work, and she needs the help of Andre as the writer of her own play, which attracts the producer’s attention. Andre, a gay black man, created a perfect play about a white woman’s story. This means Melanie hardly finds the convenient moment to come clean about the truth, witnessing her own work slipping away from her fingers as lies turn into torrents and get out of control.

The other storyline is about the mysterious Emilia Bassano, coming from an Italian, musically talented family, forced to become the mistress of Lord Chamberlain who oversees theater production in England. He shares the texts with Emilia to get her opinions, which leads Emilia to write her own play to be performed in theaters. But to achieve this plan, she has to compromise and make an agreement with the young actor William Shakespeare to act as the playwright of her work. This is a small price she has to pay to see her play reach the audiences, but what if she seeks the appraisal of her hard work she poured her heart into?