Historical fiction book · Curated
Hamnet
Maggie O'Farrell · historical fiction
The plague, a marriage, and the death of Shakespeare’s son—told with intimate, luminous focus.
Why read it: Women’s-prize winner—grief and genius without a dry biopic feel.
About this historical novel
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell is historical fiction set around 1580–1596 in the Early modern period with key settings including Stratford, England, London. The plague, a marriage, and the death of Shakespeare’s son—told with intimate, luminous focus.
On HisFic we tag it under 1. Literary historical fiction and 4. Biographical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include grief, family, plague, art, and marriage. Women’s-prize winner—grief and genius without a dry biopic feel.
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Plot summary
The plague, a marriage, and the death of Shakespeare’s son—told with intimate, luminous focus. Women’s-prize winner—grief and genius without a dry biopic feel.
Subgenres
Eras
Browse this mix
More like this on HisFic
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- Bring Up the Bodies · Hilary Mantel
Thomas Cromwell, now Master Secretary, engineers the fall of Anne Boleyn as Henry VIII turns toward Jane Seymour. The middle novel of Mantel’s Cromwell trilogy is court politics at close range—cool, lethal, and intimate.
- Girl with a Pearl Earring · Tracy Chevalier
A servant in Vermeer’s household becomes entangled in the making of a famous portrait.
- The Mirror & the Light · Hilary Mantel
The final act of Thomas Cromwell’s rise and ruin (Walter Scott Prize 2021).
- Year of Wonders · Geraldine Brooks
A Derbyshire village quarantines itself during the plague—and a servant girl finds her strength.
Regions & places
Britain & Ireland
Stratford · England · London
Themes
- grief
- family
- plague
- art
- marriage
Tags
literary · award-winner · book-club