Many fantasy, time travel, and science fiction books are
written for young children or teens, so it is delightful to find one that is
aimed at an older group of readers. Ellen Wilson’s novel, ‘In the Shadow of
Shakespeare,’ is better understood by someone having a detailed knowledge of England
during the years in which Shakespeare lived. Most time travel stories require a
strong suspension of disbelief because the author doesn’t bother to give us an
explanation regarding the reason why the character can travel through time. Ellen
Wilson does a good job of laying the groundwork for this story.
If this book has a flaw, I think it lies in the fact that
some of it will pass over the head of readers who have no knowledge of
Elizabethan England. There are few today who are aware of the controversy
regarding the existence of a writer named Shakespeare unless they had English
literature in college. Wilson
weaves this controversy into her story in a way that is compelling and
interesting.
The characters are believable, the story is well plotted,
and you feel as if you have been immersed in the culture of the day. If you
like intellectual literature you will enjoy this book, but if you taste runs to
Harry Potter or stories written for young children, you should probably select
something else.
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