A homely story with grand themes

This book describes an imagined home life lived by Shakespeare. The central character, Agnes, falls in love with the young tutor, helps him to deal with his abusive father, supports him through his struggles to become a playwright by keeping the home in the country running while he pursues success in London, and ultimately loses her 11 year old son, Hamnet, to the plague. The story is captivating and echoes familiar Shakespearean themes of power, love, death, herbalism and magic, gender confusion, family duty and more. It is a gentle easy read that stays with you long after you have finished it.