Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper, Narrated by Anne Flosnik

Anne Whateley was a childhood friend of William Shakespeare. They fell in love and got married in secret. Then he was forced to marry Anne Hathaway because she was pregnant. The other Anne, Anne Whateley was devastated but went on with her life. She worked for her father and then, after his death became a business woman in her own right.

The next time she happened upon Will Shakespeare he convinced Miss Whateley that it was her that he truly loved and she became his mistress. They sold his plays together and Shakespeare became a household name.

Spanning a half a century, in Elizabethan history, this book is a love story of WillShakespeare and "the other Anne"

There is very little known about Will Shakespeare but there was a discrepancy on his marriage certificate. Harper took this little discrepancy and turned it into a very enjoyable novel. It is well written and character driven. I especially liked that Harper made Anne a strong female character, able to take care of herself and not rely on Will's income.  She captures this time in history well.

I listened to the audio version of this book and Anne Flosnik's narration added to my enjoyment of the book. This is the first Karen Harper novel that I have read but it won't be the last.

4/5