I’m not typically a fan of literary fiction, but I’m trying to branch out and I think this was a pretty good starting point. I did audio, which I think helped. The flow of the writing is lovely, and the narrator’s voice went well with it. The ending was wonderful, but it took a long time to get there. I liked how the story focuses on the women - William Shakespeare is never even mentioned by name, a great decision imo. My major qualm is that the entire story is basically spoiled in the blurb, and there really isn’t much beyond what they say in it. I guess they were assuming most people would know what happened to Hamnet historically, but I had no idea and I think the story would’ve hit better if I’d gone in totally blind. Also if you’re uncomfortable with long, detailed descriptions of birthing, maybe skip a couple chapters. I’m sure it resonates differently with mothers, but I sure wish I had.