Hamnet

'A thing of shimmering wonder' David Mitchell 'Exquisite, immersive and compelling' Marian Keyes 'Breathtakingly moving' Guardian THE EXTRAORDINARY WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION AND SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER FROM MAGGIE O'FARRELL ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ On a summer's day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a sudden fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home? Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that Hamnet will not survive the week. Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright: a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written. 'Exceptional . . . inspired' New York Times 'Blisteringly brilliant' Cosmopolitan 'Everyone I know who has managed to get hold of a copy is absolutely in love with it' Observer READERS CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT HAMNET ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'It has moved me more profoundly than anything I have read' 'Took my breath away' 'Grabs you and holds onto you until the last page, where you are left wanting more' 'I found it impossible to put down' 'I was utterly lost in it' 'I was hooked right from the first page, reading for hours into the night' 'You need to read this' 'I am transfixed! . . . This book is a time machine' 'One of the best books I've had the pleasure to read - and I have read a lot!' 'Heartbreaking and yet absolutely compelling' 'So beautifully written and moving . . . tears were rolling down my face' SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER 2021 WINNER: WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020 WINNER: FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR, BRITISH BOOK AWARDS WINNER: BOOKS ARE MY BAG READER'S CHOICE AWARD AS FEATURED ON BBC2'S BETWEEN THE COVERS SHORTLISTED: AN POST IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR, WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION