Did I buy this (partly) because it’s just an absolutely beautiful cover? Yes. But I love historical fiction and this was beautifully, heartbreakingly good. Maggie O’Farrell’s writing style was wonderfully descriptive and felt almost dreamy. I often don’t like when stories jump around in time, but it didn’t bother me in this book.

I especially loved the chapter tracing the plague from a monkey in the Middle East to Italy and finally to England. I love when books deal with big or important historical events by breaking them down to the tiniest actions, and this was an amazing example.

I found it fascinating that O’Farrell managed to write the entire book (or almost the entire book? I don’t remember exactly) without ever mentioning the name William Shakespeare. It was such a good way to keep the reader’s attention on his role as a father rather than a literary icon.

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe—although this is historical fiction so you really should know the ending already): Sad, but also a little bittersweet. I love the idea of tragedy and loss being turned into something beautiful, as so many artists have done.