Hamnet

It's been a long time since I cried over a novel, but this one did it for me. Such lovely character development, such a lovely portrayal of the life of a family. Also, the sense of what it's like to live in the context of an epidemic is so strong here. This family, in this context, is more accustomed to illness and death than we are in the 21st century West, but that doesn't make this story less wrenching.

I loved the details of life in a country town in Renaissance England.

An oddity: although the Latin tutor/husband is plainly William Shakespeare, he is never named in the novel. Why not? Every other major character in the novel is named. It seemed needlessly coy.

Otherwise, no reservations about recommending this book, especially if you are feeling numb.