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The Women Who Saved Shakespeare
Georgian London. ‘Reading fever’ sweeps the nation, much endangering the delicacy of young women’s minds. Such is the general consensus of eighteenth-century men. Elizabeth Boyd knows better, and from the moment she discovers her grandmother’s annotated Shakespeare, she senses a genius the men around her are unable to see.
As her twin brother rises through privilege, Elizabeth teaches herself to write, daring to dream of a life in letters. A chance encounter draws her into a circle of women who share her passion. Together they form the Shakespeare Ladies Club, determined to restore the Bard’s reputation and claim their place in the city’s literary scene.
All too soon, however, their campaign rouses the scorn of the Hellfire Club, led by Elizabeth’s brother, whose riotous plans threaten everything the women have built.
Inspired by true events, this is a triumphant tale of wit, courage and sisterhood that celebrates the women who saved the literary reputation of Britain’s best-loved poet.
As her twin brother rises through privilege, Elizabeth teaches herself to write, daring to dream of a life in letters. A chance encounter draws her into a circle of women who share her passion. Together they form the Shakespeare Ladies Club, determined to restore the Bard’s reputation and claim their place in the city’s literary scene.
All too soon, however, their campaign rouses the scorn of the Hellfire Club, led by Elizabeth’s brother, whose riotous plans threaten everything the women have built.
Inspired by true events, this is a triumphant tale of wit, courage and sisterhood that celebrates the women who saved the literary reputation of Britain’s best-loved poet.
- GenresFiction
330 pages, Paperback
Published May 28, 2026
About the author
Mai Black
4 books18 followersI was born in Norwich, England and studied English and American Literature at Canterbury.
I worked for ten years as a primary teacher and wrote history, geography and English resources for CGP Publishing.
In 2011 I moved to Ipswich (in Suffolk) and set up Suffolk Writers Group as a way to network with local writers. I also lead a range of creative writing groups and courses.
I've recently published my first collection of poetry, 'Thirty Angry Ghosts' which features the voices of a variety of historical figures including Henry VIII, Tutankhamen, and Abraham Lincoln.
Currently, I'm working on a novel set in 18th Century London.
I worked for ten years as a primary teacher and wrote history, geography and English resources for CGP Publishing.
In 2011 I moved to Ipswich (in Suffolk) and set up Suffolk Writers Group as a way to network with local writers. I also lead a range of creative writing groups and courses.
I've recently published my first collection of poetry, 'Thirty Angry Ghosts' which features the voices of a variety of historical figures including Henry VIII, Tutankhamen, and Abraham Lincoln.
Currently, I'm working on a novel set in 18th Century London.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Big thanks to The Book Guild for gifting me a copy of this to review.
This book intrigued me when it was offered to me by the publisher for review. I hadn’t even heard of the Shakespeare Ladies Club, but they sound like a fascinating group of women who were determined to rescue Shakespeare from obscurity in the 18th century. The cover of the book is gorgeous, rich colours with gold embellishment, perhaps echoing the richness of Shakespeare’s work. I can’t say that I’ve read all of Shakespeare’s plays, far from it, but I’ve enjoyed the ones I have read!
Elizabeth Boyd is the narrator of the story, a woman from a family fallen on hard times who doesn’t really get along with any of her siblings. She discovers the work of William Shakespeare in her father’s library, but this puts her on a collision course with her brother, and a family doctor who believes she is going mad due to ‘reading fever’. Connecting with like-minded women including a duchess and a couple of countesses, they discuss Shakespeare and set about recruiting other women to try and engage the wider world in Shakespeare’s work.
The story does start slowly, and it’s really over halfway through before the club even comes into being, which was a little disappointing. I wanted more of these women navigating the male-dominated world of England in the 18th century in order to bring Shakespeare back into wider circulation. I wanted more of the club itself, rather than the childhood of Elizabeth Boyd, which dominates the first half.
The characters are interesting, but I didn’t really find any of them particularly likeable. Elizabeth Boyd had moments of being likeable, but she seemed to jump to conclusions too readily and didn’t seem willing to engage with people. Susanna, I did like, though the duchess of Montagu drove me mad. Just because you’re in a high position doesn’t mean that you need to be so pushy and entitled. Most of the men in the novel were entirely unlikeable, awful people generally.
It was great finding out more about something I knew basically nothing about, like the Shakespeare Ladies Club and I am very grateful that I was gifted a copy of this book. It is well-written, I just wish there had been a character I really liked!
This book intrigued me when it was offered to me by the publisher for review. I hadn’t even heard of the Shakespeare Ladies Club, but they sound like a fascinating group of women who were determined to rescue Shakespeare from obscurity in the 18th century. The cover of the book is gorgeous, rich colours with gold embellishment, perhaps echoing the richness of Shakespeare’s work. I can’t say that I’ve read all of Shakespeare’s plays, far from it, but I’ve enjoyed the ones I have read!
Elizabeth Boyd is the narrator of the story, a woman from a family fallen on hard times who doesn’t really get along with any of her siblings. She discovers the work of William Shakespeare in her father’s library, but this puts her on a collision course with her brother, and a family doctor who believes she is going mad due to ‘reading fever’. Connecting with like-minded women including a duchess and a couple of countesses, they discuss Shakespeare and set about recruiting other women to try and engage the wider world in Shakespeare’s work.
The story does start slowly, and it’s really over halfway through before the club even comes into being, which was a little disappointing. I wanted more of these women navigating the male-dominated world of England in the 18th century in order to bring Shakespeare back into wider circulation. I wanted more of the club itself, rather than the childhood of Elizabeth Boyd, which dominates the first half.
The characters are interesting, but I didn’t really find any of them particularly likeable. Elizabeth Boyd had moments of being likeable, but she seemed to jump to conclusions too readily and didn’t seem willing to engage with people. Susanna, I did like, though the duchess of Montagu drove me mad. Just because you’re in a high position doesn’t mean that you need to be so pushy and entitled. Most of the men in the novel were entirely unlikeable, awful people generally.
It was great finding out more about something I knew basically nothing about, like the Shakespeare Ladies Club and I am very grateful that I was gifted a copy of this book. It is well-written, I just wish there had been a character I really liked!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
The family dynamic of Elizabeth is reminiscent of Cinderella. That was probably the worst.
But I DO love a historical fiction book and this one did what I expected it to do. It took me back to a time in history and educated me.
The reader is taken to a period in which women were expected to simply exist for the purposes of men: sit there, look pretty, and have babies. Fortunately, many of the women in this novel dare to have the audacity to read and have opinions. Elizabeth even risks institutionalization for "Reading Fever."
"I would not desire a man who would only want to marry a face,' I said. 'What manner of shallowness is that?"
The book educated me as I was completely unaware that there was an actual group of women responsible for reviving the works of Shakespeare and providing him the status for which he is recognized today.
A good read for any historical fiction lover!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher (The Book Guild) for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The family dynamic of Elizabeth is reminiscent of Cinderella. That was probably the worst.
But I DO love a historical fiction book and this one did what I expected it to do. It took me back to a time in history and educated me.
The reader is taken to a period in which women were expected to simply exist for the purposes of men: sit there, look pretty, and have babies. Fortunately, many of the women in this novel dare to have the audacity to read and have opinions. Elizabeth even risks institutionalization for "Reading Fever."
"I would not desire a man who would only want to marry a face,' I said. 'What manner of shallowness is that?"
The book educated me as I was completely unaware that there was an actual group of women responsible for reviving the works of Shakespeare and providing him the status for which he is recognized today.
A good read for any historical fiction lover!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher (The Book Guild) for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was intrigued to learn that women had had such a prominent roll in bringing more of Shakespeare’s plays to the stage after they had been in decline, and that there had even been a Shakespeare Ladies Club. I like historical novels and the author is very good at describing and immersing you into the era.
It is halfway through the book before the Club comes into being, until then it feels very much that it is going to be a romance. The ups and downs in the fortunes of the Boyd family are entertaining but I would have liked the majority of the book to have been about the Shakespeare Ladies Club and the lives of the other founder members of the club too.
The good inclusion was the fact that women could be locked into asylums due to ‘hysteria’, quite often at the behest of the family who would bring in a doctor to ‘advise’ and to prescribe it.
On the whole, a light and pleasant read with an interesting subject and very enjoyable.
Many thanks to Mai Black, The Book Guild and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy.
It is halfway through the book before the Club comes into being, until then it feels very much that it is going to be a romance. The ups and downs in the fortunes of the Boyd family are entertaining but I would have liked the majority of the book to have been about the Shakespeare Ladies Club and the lives of the other founder members of the club too.
The good inclusion was the fact that women could be locked into asylums due to ‘hysteria’, quite often at the behest of the family who would bring in a doctor to ‘advise’ and to prescribe it.
On the whole, a light and pleasant read with an interesting subject and very enjoyable.
Many thanks to Mai Black, The Book Guild and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It was interesting to learn about a group of women who had such an impact on Shakespeare's plays. As an English teacher, I have taught many different Shakespeare plays and have never heard of The Shakespeare Ladies Club, so I was excited to read this novel. The ladies' club was not even mentioned until at least 2/3's of the way through the book, which was a bit of a disappointment, since as I was reading, I kept wondering when we would learn about the club and about what they did. And, even when it was discussed, there really was not much history given about it, which was a disappointment. So though I was intrigued to learn that women played this role in history, I actually didn't learn much about it. The story itself was not that engaging, and I didn't like most of the characters, even the main character who is so interested in Shakespeare and isn't allowed to read it because she is a girl was not that engaging. Thanks to NetGalley and The Book Guild for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I've never heard of the Shakespeare Ladies Club, so I was intrigued from the start. It's a story about a strong-willed group of women, the impact they had on the theater, and their shear enjoyment and devotion to Shakespeare's original plays. It was interesting to read about women who, regardless of status, found a common interest in something they were passionate about, set a goal and fought to see it through. In a time where women weren't expected to have opinions, educate themselves and support themselves, these ladies came together and made a difference.
June 8, 2026
An excellent story that is superbly written. It had me engrossed, so I finished it in four or five sittings, which is unusual for me.
The book feels well researched but the historical detail never feels laboured, which can be a problem in this genre. I ended up feeling educated and entertained. Can't be bad!!
The book feels well researched but the historical detail never feels laboured, which can be a problem in this genre. I ended up feeling educated and entertained. Can't be bad!!
June 1, 2026
A well written and well researched page turner with interesting characters and a complex plot. I especially liked the surprise ending.
June 2, 2026
What an inspiring story of how literature can transform us to become better versions of ourselves, no matter the time period. This book reimagines a time period where women were so inspired by Shakespeare, they created a literary club to discuss his plays and work hard to create a presence for women in the theater. I absolutely loved Elizabeth’s passion, force, intellect, and connection between Shakespeare’s characters and her own reality. It moved a bit slow at times, but overall, this is a great read for anyone who appreciates theater, Shakespeare, and the historical connections to the 18th century.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews