jessica's Reviews > Hamnet and Judith

wow. this story is something else. i picked this up on a whim and i do not regret it.

very early on, i thought this book would be too ‘description’ heavy for my personal liking. there are paragraphs upon paragraphs of very detailed description, so i was unsure if i would connect with this kind of narrative (especially because its written in present tense). but slowly, and ever surely, i became completely absorbed by the end. it definitely creeped up on me.

what i love most about this, though, is how it takes one seemingly insignificant point in history and turns it into a moment of purpose, motivation, and acceptance. back in shakespeares time, children dying was not uncommon, but its fascinating to see and speculate at how the death of one child could cause such an impact, not only on the immediate family, but beyond that. i really like how MOF lays the foundation for anne and williams relationship, and imagines how that relationship changes through their common grief.

im really quite happy that i enjoyed this so much more than i thought i would.

↠ 4.5 stars