The Gentleman Poet

by Kathryn Johnson

En route to the Americas in 1609, Elizabeth Persons, a young servant girl, sees her blinding headache as an ominous sign. Sure enough, a hurricane during the final leg of their journey tosses the ill-fated Sea Venture and its one hundred and fifty passengers and crew onto the dreaded shores of the Bermudas, the rumored home of evil spirits and dangerous natives. In the months that pass--time marked by grave hardship, mutiny, adventure, danger . . . and a blossoming love between Elizabeth and the wrecked ship's young cook--she despairs of their ever being rescued. But she finds hope and strength in a remarkable new friendship, forming a fast bond with the Sea Venture's historian, a poet traveling under the name of William Strachey. But Will is more than he seems. To many back home in England, he is known by a different name—Shakespeare. And he sees in their great shared travails the makings of a magical, truly transcendent work of theater.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Shakespeare, Romance, Adventure, Books About Books, Historical

324 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 2010

About the author

Kathryn Johnson is the author of over 40 published novels under a variety of pen names. Most of her contemporary novels now being written under her own name, while she writes historical fiction as Mary Hart Perry, on Goodreads as well.
When Kathryn isn't working on her own novels, she loves teaching at The Writer's Center in the Washington, DC area and mentoring other writers at http://www.WriteByYou.com. She has spoken nationally at writers' conferences and at the Library of Congress and for the Smithsonian Associates in Washington.
Her new series, The Haunted Farmhouse Mysteries will have 6 titles, the first being, The Death of a Maven.

Reviews

[William Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read if an unlikely historical novel. What are the odds that William Shakespeare would travel to the American colony of Jamestown in order to escape a vengeful fellow playwright? However, the pairing of Shakespeare's “The Tempest” with a fictionalized account of a shipwreck in the Bermudas was engaging.

I was somewhat bored with the love story—it seems like nearly every book I've read recently features a woman who is too emotionally scarred or froward to be in a relationship and a strong, silent type who manages to coax her out of her shell. It's getting a little old, writers. Let's see some new plots.

[Carole Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept my interest and it was enjoyable to read.

[Heather C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel has it all: adventure, Shakespeare, romance, survival, sadness. The story of the shipwreck of the Sea Venture and the subsequent survival of its crew is fascinating and told in engrossing detail. You will certainly be hard-pressed to put this book down. It is a fast read that can be finished in one day and leaves you wanting to know more.

The story is told from the first person of Elizabeth and you feel all of her fear, frustrations and sadness. We get to experience through her the terror of a ship being tossed like a toy in a raging storm, we learn what it is like to be one of a handful of women on an island dominated by men, and we learn what it is like to come into our own as a woman. The other characters of the novel were well developed and I very much enjoyed the character who we later discover is Shakespeare. I loved how the author used this experience as the fodder behind Shakespeare’s later play. It gave you a sort of behind-the-scenes access.

I had never read anything before that takes place in the very start of colony life. These survivors really had to start from the ground up and figure out how to survive. One of the things that Elizabeth does is discover what plants are good to eat and brings them back to the camp. These foraging experiences brought to mind the experiences I had in the my primary school days playing the game Oregon Trail where you have to do the same thing. Also, as this colony is on Bermuda you really get the sense of fear and mysticism that surrounds this island - you learn a lot of this from the superstitious sailors.

The only issue I had with the book was with the ending. The whole novel builds up to this ultimate event and then in just a few short pages things change and the story ends. I felt a little let down because what you had been hoping for all along finally happens and then something happens which basically makes you feel like everything leading up to it was for naught and then it ends. I think if there had been maybe 20 more pages to frame out the ending I would have been more satisfied.

However, I truly did love this book and would encourage all to read it if you enjoy a good adventure story. You really don’t have to know anything about The Tempest to enjoy it - I didn’t read the play until after the novel - which encouraged me to seek out the original work.

This book was received for review from the author - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am usually pleased with Reader's Choice books from my local library but I was disappointed in this one. I expected something more---something magical or enchanting. Imagination and fantasy are mentioned in the book but don't get much more attention than being talked about.

In fairness, I did like the way the author interwove strands of historical detail with strands of creative musing. I do love stories built around what if? I did find the story interesting enough to keep reading it to see what happened. However I came close to abandoning it because I was disappointed in some of the choices of the main character and I felt uncomfortable with the details of intimacy. For some reason those details brought back unwelcome flashbacks of that horrible movie The Blue Lagoon that unfortunately I saw (although the connection between this book and that movie really don't go much beyond two people stranded on an island). The details were given in an accurate telling for the time period I suppose but I could have happily done without them.

Like Mr. Strachey/Shakespeare I was angry with Elizabeth/Miranda for sleeping with Thomas. She was young and had no mother to guide her and she desperately needed to be loved. I guess we could attribute her actions to being caught up in the burning desires of youth while being very inexperienced in matters of the heart(Anyone who has been young can understand how easy it is to succumb to our wants in our youth--just feeling not thinking)...but this is a girl whose Father had died because he wouldn't renounce his Catholic faith who had witnessed many ugly deeds in her young life, who had been thoroughly shamed because Thomas and Mr. Strachey had seen her bare shoulders and legs when rescuing her from the vile Robert Waters. To me her actions were unsettling considering the background we had been given and how her character had been presented.

I think I might have liked this book a bit better if I would have read it during my college days---closer than 30-plus years to my reading of The Tempest. Back then, as an English major I would have probably drawn more parallels and analogies...but reading it in the here and now I felt like it was a long tiring journey to a destination I found to be not very meaningful or relevant.

[Roy Murry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I decided to work with Kathryn on my book http://www.amazon.com/The-Audubon-Cap..., I read The Gentleman Poet.

Romance Novels are not my thing and she was going to help me with my True Crime/Autobiographical novel to clean it up for publishing and I read mostly courtroom drama. I was looking for a match for my book and I found one in Kathryn, who is a good example of well rounded author.

Needles to say I read The Gentleman Poet before I new Goodreads.com existed and my novel was not yet published. This review is long time in coming.

Her main character faces the world's turmoils with a flow many try to attain. Her love of one man is never in question up to the point that in the comfort of her kitchen at the end of her adventure she says "I will love Thomas until the day I die. How can I marry another man?"

I am a crier and proclaim her novel had me on the edge throughout the adventure and I cried when all was done.

The Recipes and Shakespearean quotes weren't bad either. What a great women - She Cooks and Loves.

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently, some historians and scholars believe Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, was based on the real shipwreck of the Sea Venture in Bermuda as it made its way to Jamestown. Because there were no records of Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon or London at the time of the wreck, Kathryn Johnson wondered what if the playwrite did leave his native shores? Using true ship records, quotes from plays, and words from Shakespeare himself, Johnson creates a compelling story of the awakening of a young woman, Elizabeth Miranda Persons, in the dangerous, exotic, and new world of the Americas.

I loved this book. Johnson is a gifted storyteller, and I enjoyed her references to Shakespeare’s plays. The rich historical detail, new world adventure, and romance in the book offer something satisfying to all kinds of readers.

It’s such a pleasure to find a new voice in historical fiction worth following. I look forward to more from Kathryn Johnson.

[Melrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Persons is a serving girl during the year 1609. She and the strict women she is in service to, travel to Jamestown aboard a ship known as the Sea Venture . During the journey a hurricane nearly destroys the ship, and just as all hope is lost land is spotted. Instead of being Jamestown, the 150 passengers aboard the vessel find themselves stranded on the Bermudas.........In the months that follow Elizabeth witnesses and experiences hardships, danger, adventure, mutiny, and even love. Besides this, Elizabeth develops a friendship with the "historian" Will Strachey but he is known by a different name in London- William Shakespeare.
This book was a well written and interesting read. Some parts were a bit dry, but overall I would recommend this book to someone who likes historical fiction.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

For lovers of Shakespeare, The Tempest, historical fiction, early America... very well-done. Kathryn Johnson tries not to emulate or reimagine famous historical events, but instead fits her story in- between the cracks of what we do know about Shakespeare and the early years of American colonization. While the skeptic in me knows this probably isn't what really happened, I would so love to believe that it did. As pure storytelling, Johnson satisfies. Her characters are full of quirks and faults that make them both likable and human, and I enjoyed watching Miranda's growth from beginning to end.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mother encouraged me to read this book, as we are direct descendants of Elizabeth Persons and Thomas Powell, and who could resist a fictionalized story when the main characters are your own ancestors?

So I was more invested in imagining what these two people might be like than I would otherwise be. And, well, I hope my many-times great-grandmother was not like the Elizabeth portrayed in the book. I hope she was bolder, more open to love, more self-confident. As Mr. Powell’s character was not as fully realized, there is a lot of room still for me to fill in the details as I wish. (And yet, without such a vested personal interest, I would normally be annoyed by the lack of character development.)

And given how significantly the ending of their story in the book differs from their actual lives, well, I’m glad for that.

On the positive side, diving deep into those two years of their lives, the shipwreck they survived and the time they spent in Bermuda, and imagining what that may have been like was a delight. It’s an extraordinary story.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. Just as advertised it has a shipwreck, deception, tragedy and Shakespeare. Although if you're looking to this book exclusively for Shakespeare, keep in mind that he's actually a secondary character and isn't in it as much as you'd think. It can get a bit boring in spots and the main character isn't anything to write home about but it's an easy read and perfect for travel.

[Elsa Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shipwrecked on the way to Jamestown with a mystery guest of some significance. Yet, we don’t learn who this is for quite some time which was perfect. The tale spins around a young woman and the interactions she has with her mistress, a cook, and the mystery guest. The recipes and the quotes under the chapter headings were an interesting addition to the work.

[Claire E Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Johnson is one of my writing instructors, and I was excited to check out her book after taking her class. She does an admirable job of capturing the main character's thoughts and emotions while telling a fascinating story of Shakespearean life. I do recommend the book. I found it hard to put down.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the landing in Bermuda is one that I've read a bit on before, and it's fascinating. The author did a fine job there. I couldn't like the main character, though; she felt more like a fanfiction heroine than anything else.

[Claire Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely story about a ship that makes its way to the New World in the 17th century. It’d a work of fiction but based on the author’s research of a real ship’s manifest. Kathryn weaves truth and fiction effortlessly.

[Michele Hermansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars really

The first half of the book was good and written according to what we have come to expect from the period. The last half of the novel the author decided she was writing a contemporary romance and included a lot of things I skipped. This one was not for me.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, light read.

[Stephen Learned · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent piece of historic fiction for those who love Shakespeare

[Marilyn Kavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!!

This book is an exceptional imagining of the inspiration for and creation of The Tempest and a carefully researched and crafted telling of the plausible.

[Mae Stroshane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of love, adventure, loss, and the inspiration for "The Tempest." The title seems misleading, since that esteemed character plays a supporting role in the drama. Elizabeth, the main character, is bold and high-spirited, but I couldn't seem to warm up to Thomas the cook, which is a shame because we're supposed to. Being a big fan of "The Tempest," I was enchanted by the island setting and it was fun to decipher which of the novel's characters became those in the play. What I enjoyed most were Mistress Elizabeth's charming "receipts." I imagine some of them are quite tasty!

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

In full transparency, I picked this book solely on the fact that I would be in Bermuda while reading it (because you know, I will always opt for a more immersive reading experience). I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would and took a break from reading it once I was back home. However, when I finally did commit to finishing it, I seemed to enjoy the last half more than the first. I loved the historical element and that it was inspired by Shakespeare's writing of the Tempest, and the writing was generally good. I mainly had a hard time liking a majority of the characters.

[Tia Bach · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gentleman Poet is as engaging as the author herself. Kathryn Johnson came to our book club to share her passion for this lovely novel, and she was interesting and enthusiastic. I liked the novel the first time, but even more after listening to her (thus, the 4.5). She has written over 40 novels under various pen names, but this is the first she published under her own name. Although marketed as adult historical fiction, the book has also been embraced by the young adult audience winning the 2011 Booksellers' Best Award for young adult fiction.

Kathryn Johnson became intrigued with a gap in Shakespeare history, a time when Shakespeare is unaccounted for in England and a man named William Strachey survived a shipwreck. His accounts of the shipwreck are eerily similar to Shakespeare's The Tempest, the last play Shakespeare wrote alone according to historians. Coincidence? Not in the author's eyes.

The story centers on Elizabeth Persons, a young servant girl traveling on a ship heading to Jamestown and the New World. She has already survived family tragedy, and now finds herself shipwrecked in the Bermudas with an overbearing mistress and people frantically trying to survive.

She is immediately drawn to a reclusive poet named Will. He spends his days journaling the passengers' attempts at survival. He senses a story in Elizabeth and takes her under his wing. His concern for her leads to matchmaking and a desire to see Elizabeth end up with Thomas, the ship's cook. Elizabeth soon discovers two things: Will is actually William Shakespeare, and she's worthy of love and Thomas. Through her relationship with both men, Elizabeth finds herself and becomes determined to control her own destiny.

Don't let the title fool you. This is a love story and tale of survival, the character of William Shakespeare serves only as a catalyst. Historical fiction, romance and young adult readers will all enjoy the tale. Shakespeare fans, too, as they will appreciate the reference to his works. Each chapter begins with a quote from one of his plays.

There are moments of laughter, tears, fear and applause. Women everywhere will celebrate Elizabeth, a strong woman before her time, one that cannot be held down by circumstance. You will laugh with her, cheer for her and cry with her in the end.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh to be stranded on a balmy island with William Shakespeare. Immediately, one thinks of The Tempest - with its sorcery and monsters and being at the mercy of elements.

In 1609, a raging tempest deposits the Venture and its passengers onto an island in the Bermudas. Shipwrecked and far from civilization and the constraints of London society, the passengers struggle to maintain order and rules. For young servant girl, Elizabeth, it is a chance to use her gift for herbs and cooking and discover a braver, more confident self. The road to self-discovery in the middle of wild paradise is impeded, however, by a dangerous family secret, one that bonds her with the mysterious poet-historian, Will Strachey (Shakespeare in disguise).

Despite the title, The Gentleman Poet by Kathryn Johnson is more about Elizabeth than Shakespeare. Like The Tempest, the wise and curious Will Strachey is Prospero to Elizabeth's Miranda. He counsels her in ways of the heart, how to take risks and open herself to possibilities. Cautious and timid Elizabeth blooms in the aftermath of the shipwreck - becoming a heroine that could have possibly inspired a Shakespearean play.

This entertaining tale boasts solid writing and a new perspective on an older, more mature William Shakespeare - what secrets he may have kept and his motivations.

"I suppose I dreamt of faraway lands, such as those about which I have always written but never seen with my own eyes...I have always written about great moments, in history or imagination. I have provided for my audience grand and daring adventures, but I have never lived them!"

I loved the descriptions of the island paradise and how the stranded passengers tried to retain a semblance of civilization, sometimes unsuccessfully. There are darker moments, when inevitably the monstrous side of human nature emerges - akin to Caliban. I was also intrigued by some of the political issues that Johnson wove into The Gentleman Poet to give depth to both Elizabeth and Will's characters. But this is balanced by an enchanting love story evocative of The Tempest.

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Stuff

* Extremely well researched!!
* Fresh and entertaining
* Absorbing, it took me a few reads of the first few pages, but after that I did not want to put it down
* It makes me want to read The Tempest by Shakespeare
* Wonderfully descriptive without being too flowery or polite.
* The description of the storm is fantastically real you almost feel seasick
* Loved the metamorphosis of the main character -- brilliantly done
* Wonderful ending

The Not so Good Stuff

* Would have liked a bit stronger of an opener, but again that is due more to my lack of focus than to the authors talents (Ok, I started reading it while Jesse was still awake and screaming -- probably not a good idea)
* Makes me want to read The Tempest -- hmm better see if they are doing it at Stratford this year


Favorite Quotes/Passages

"Despite my dislike for the old crow, I felt sorry for the terror I saw in her eyes'"

"For myself, I wished for a quick end, the sooner to join my dear father and mother, cruelly taken from me by queen and plague - one fate no more merciful than the other."

"The same woman whose name I'd been given, no doubt in the hope of protecting us. A daughter christened, even if in the wrong church, after her, Elizabeth the queen, might be a talisman: You see, we named our child after our beloved queen! Is this not proof enough of our loyalty."

"It is a gift. Your love of food makes it delicious"


What I Learned

* Really sucked to be a women in the early 1600's
* Having any sort of religious conviction was a very bad thing in the 1600's
* Shakespeare was one interesting fellow

Who Should/Shouldn't Read

* Auntie Sheila is going to love this one and I think I will lend it to her
* Lovers of Historical Fiction
* Pretty much anyone


4.5 Dewey's

[Eirene Ritznore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not quite know how to review this book. There were parts of it that completely captured me. The tumultuous storm at sea and subsequent ship wreck were vivid. The difficulties faced on the island which the shipmates were marooned on were very real. I could easily envision exactly what Miranda saw each day, either while in the hut with Mistress Horton or seated on the dunes with Willian Strachey or cooking in her little hut removed from the settlement and facing the sea- the translucent, cerulean blue waters of the ocean, the tar strewn and sea foam covered beaches, the thick brush of the inner part of the island, the dingy huts with their inadequate furnishing, the little glades and clearings where herbs and other edible vegetives were found in copious abundance. It was very real. I especially loved Miranda's ability- due to her father's profession as an apothecary in London- to decipher the various herbs and vegetives and their medicinal, as well as, flavor enhancing properties. The recipes that were put at the end of the some of the chapters, especially in the older English, were wonderful, too. The love story was very touching and genuine. I could perfectly relate to Miranda's emotions throughout the plot. I particularly loved Will's part in the matchmaking. It continually evoked the idea of youth being wasted on the young and brought a smile to my lips.

However, numerous elements of the story were bittersweet, at times, tragic. It did make the story a little hard, but emphasized how the hearts of adventurers are prepared, oftentimes, for the hardships they will face. Excellently written, entwining Shakespeare's The Tempest, as well as other bits of his writing, into the story. I particularly loved that element. I recommend it to those who love an adventure, to those that love a love story, to those that love anything related to Shakespeare.

[Patricia O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a violent storm separates their battered ship from a fleet carrying settlers and provisions to Jamestown Colony, the one hundred and fifty passengers of the Sea Venture take refuge on the island of Bermuda. Among them are Elizabeth Persons, a lady’s maid with a gift for cooking, and Will Strachey, a gentleman who claims to be the ship’s historian, but who does little more than sit on the beach scribbling in his journal while the other men labor to build a new ship from the wreckage of the old one. Despite the difference in their station, Elizabeth and Will become friends, and Elizabeth discovers that they share a dangerous secret, one that drove Will from England and that ruined Elizabeth’s family. But, with Will’s encouragement, Elizabeth begins to build a new life in Bermuda with the ship’s cook. However, now there are new dangers such as mutinous sailors and, when they finally arrive there, life in Jamestown, which has been decimated by Indian attacks and starvation.

Based on the true story of the shipwreck of the Sea Venture and theories that William Shakespeare was one of her passengers, The Gentleman Poet is a delightful novel full of surprising twists. Johnson does a splendid job incorporating the events and personalities that may have inspired Shakespeare’s writing of The Tempest and even includes, in Shakespearian style, the play within the story. However, my favorite parts of the novel were the Dinner Impossible-like scenes in which Elizabeth must prepare full course meals for over one hundred people using only ingredients found on the island and cooking them over a fire pit on the beach. This lively and well-written narrative skillfully combines religion, literature, history, and culinary craft into an action-packed story.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers!! Do not click read more if you don't want to know!!!

WRITING STYLE: 4
PLOT: 5
PROTAGONIST: 5
CAPTURED MY INTEREST: 4
OVERALL: 4.5
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Spoilers Below...

Maybe if I'd read The Tempest I wouldn't have had my heart ripped open but I didn't so it did. I don't think Thomas' death was necessary and while I saw it coming right before it happened I denied it up until the very moment she sees the blood. This loss was akin to the death of Prim though not as horrific.

I was shocked that I enjoyed this book. It was on the Reader's Choice stand at the library and on a whim I picked it up (the last Reader's Choice I read was horrible). I dislike books set in past time periods especially if I have to work to interpret what I'm reading on the most basic level (ie. Jane Austin, Shakespeare, etc.). I'm not talking about interpreting plot, deeper meanings, foreshadowing or anything of that nature, I mean language. If I can't even understand what's being said on the surface I get frustrated.

But Johnson managed to convey the sense of the time period without losing her readers in the language. I'm sure if you're a huge Shakespeare fan you'll hate this book and find it to be a gross perversion of a master piece. I loved it. I loved the character development, the plot, the food, and the developing romance.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe people who are fans of Shakespeare will get a big kick out of Kathryn Johnson’s The Gentleman Poet. This is a well written story that has a lot of historical detail, including 17th century recipes!

The heroine is a relatively educated (for the time period and her station in life) servant girl, named Elizabeth Persons. In 1609 Elizabeth travels with her mistress from England to the Jamestown Colony. Their voyage on the Sea Venture is a disaster and they end up washed ashore in Bermuda.

While on the island Elizabeth thrives and she grows very close to the ship’s historian, William Strachey. She also finds a love interest in the ship’s cook, Thomas Powell.

Things really start to get interesting as Elizabeth notices William Strachey’s constant writing. William S. is also very secretive and mysterious. When William S. writes a play with Elizabeth cast as Miranda clues to his identity are revealed.

I thought that this was an interesting story to tell and that taking the perspective of a servant girl gave the story an appealing twist. And as I said before the historical research made it very credible. I found the beginning chapters to be a bit slow but stuck with it and found it an enjoyable read.

[Kate Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author took me by the hand and tossed me onto the good ship Sea Venture. Her descriptions were so vivid as to give me a taste of sea-sickness as the storm battered the ship and the people until they finally made it to land on some uninhabited islands. Thank goodness Elizabeth knew herbs and how to use them to make otherwise dreadful meals more palatable. Her friendship with Will--is he really Shakespeare in hiding?--was a delight to vicariously experience and reminded me of other unorthodox friendships between young women and older men. How he manages to write a play that is then performed by members of the crew gave credence to the possibility that he wasn't who he said he was. I was about to settle down to enjoy these characters' continuing adventure after finally arriving at the Virginia colony when tragedy strikes and the life Elizabeth, now Miranda, had imagined for herself shifts dramatically. She truly experienced a tempest. A perfect story for people interested in Elizabethan times but with no taste for iambic pentameter. I wonder how many more high schoolers would have read Shakespeare with greater enthusiasm had they first read The Gentleman Poet.

[Betty Strohecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable tale of a ship caught in a hurricane on its way to America in 1609. Servant girl Elizabeth Persons has a premonition in the form of a severe headache which is followed by a storm-tossed sea which wrecks the ship on the shore of the Bermudas. Elizabeth is caught up in trying to please the woman she serves, following the captain's orders, and an attraction to the ship's young cook. Trying to survive on this land rumored to possess evil spirits and dangerous natives is a challenge and an adventure. Elizabeth finds help and strength in a new friendship with the ship's historian, 'the gentleman poet' by the name of William Strachey. In reality he is William Shakespeare, traveling under an assumed name for reasons known only to himself. This is the adventure he will use to write The Tempest.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kathryn Johnson in 2013 when she was a member of a panel discussion about inspirations for historical fiction. It was so interesting to hear how she came to write this imagined story with Shakespears as a character. I just had to buy it and was not disappointed.

[Kathe]

An engaging read. Desert island story meets love story meets mysterious Shakespearean figure.

The Tempest just happens to be one of my favourite plays. This novel ponders whether a certain W.S. could have been on an ill-fated voyage to the New World in 1609 that wound up in the Bermudas after a terrible storm. I won't say much more, except to report that the characters are finely drawn, especially our heroine, Elizabeth Miranda Persons, the cook Thomas Powell, and the intriguing "historian" who goes by the name of William Strachey and is always scribbling away....

There are many fascinating details on how a small group of settlers survive under difficult conditions. The ship ran aground with all its stores. So how do you make bread when there is no flour? How do you build a new ship? How does a society re-form itself - a society composed largely of men? Does the class system dissolve? (Er, no.) More prosaically, what about sanitary arrangements?

An incident towards the end brought me to tears and then made me angry at the author - why?! The ending was a little too neat. But overall, a good read, especially for the Shakespeare-obsessed.