Reason I picked up the book: I'm a huge Jodi Picoult fan, and I think I've read most if not all of her books—you can read my previous reviews of them here.
And what's this book about?
From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey comes a novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—who are both forced to hide behind another name.

Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely, in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. As Melina wonders if she dares risk failure again, her best friend takes the decision out of her hands and submits the play to a festival under a male pseudonym.

In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of English aristocrats. Her lessons on languages, history, and writing have endowed her with a sharp wit and a gift for storytelling, but like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. Forced to become a mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, who oversees all theatre productions in England, Emilia sees firsthand how the words of playwrights can move an audience. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage—by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work.

Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name, a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire centers two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Should a writer do whatever it takes to see her story live on ... no matter the cost? This remarkable novel, rooted in primary historical sources, ensures the name Emilia Bassano will no longer be forgotten.
Recommended for: Anyone who enjoys historical books or books that jump from past to present.
Favorite paragraph: In public, Emilia played the part of a decorative object. In private, when she felt too full at the seams of her own life, she spilled all that emotion and intelligence and hope onto pages and pages of poetry, fables, and snippets of dialogue. Emilia wrote from the point of view of the bird of prey, delighting in those few moments of freedom befroe the jesses were pulled. She wrote fairy tales about princesses who climbed down brick towers, rescuing themselves. She wrote female characters who were adored for both their minds and their beauty. She wrote witty banter with men who were not afraid of a woman who could think for herself. She wrote of what sex must be like when your soul was as invested as your skin. She wrote love poems, where sometimes love was fire, sometimes it was rote, and sometimes it was agony.

She hid hundreds of pages under her mattress.

She did not write happy endings. As any real poet knows, the best tales are the ones that contain kernel of truth.
Something to know: I vaguely remember hearing that Shakespeare perhaps did not write all of the work that he's known for, and this book explores that.
What I would have changed: I'll admit that this Picoult book took me a little longer to get in to—however, once the story/plot picks up, I enjoyed it a lot. So I would maybe change the beginning a bit, but I'm not entirely sure how.
Overall rating: 4 stars out of 5.
Where can I find this book? Click here to pre-order via my Amazon affiliate link—the book will be out on August 20, 2024.

Although heavily researched this book was just wasn't for me. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read.

I really enjoy reading Jodi Picoult's works and this one was no different. Her books are entertaining, and easy to read yet they push you to deeply consider different aspects of the world around you. They ask you to put yourself in her characters shoes and think: what would you do?

This novel in particular By Any Other Name focuses on Melina and her distant ancestor Emilia, both of whom are female playwrights trying to carve a spot out for themselves in a male dominated world.

If you're familiar with and enjoy the works of Shakespeare, this is a really fun read that explores who he was (or wasn't) and how the works attributed to him may have come to be. At times it could be a little slow, but the plot is solid and compelling.

In this "the more things change the more they stay the same" look at women and other minorities in the theater world, readers meet contemporary playwright Melina Green and Emilia Bassano, Melina's ancestor who may have written some of Shakespeare's most famous plays.
In both centuries, the theater world is difficult for women to navigate. Melina is working under a male pseudonym while Emilia devises a plan to pay actor William Shakespeare to bring her words to an audience.
Per usual, Jodi Picoult does her due diligence to incorporate as much "truth" as she can in her tale. Anyone who enjoys theater or Shakespeare and Elizabethan times will appreciate this story.

I always love a Jodi Picoult and this did not disappoint. I was more invested in Emilia’s story than Mel’s , but thought it was an interesting look at how gender affects success in the present day as well. Picoults extensive research makes a plausible case for Emilia being the author of many plays attributed to Shakespeare, as well as exploring her fascinating life.

Melina Green is a playwright in present times. She has researched one of her ancestors named Emilia Bassano and has written a play about her called “By Any Other Name”. The book goes back and forth between chapters written by the two women. Emilia lived during Shakespeare’s time and was a writer and poet when it was unheard of for women to be writing plays. Melina is struggling in modern times getting her play to be recognized. It was a fascinating study of the parallels the two women faced in a male dominated world. Jodi Picoult is a wonderful author who draws you into both of these women’s worlds. I am a big Shakespeare fan and really enjoyed the conjecture of Emilia writing many of Shakespeare’s works. The author seemed to really do her research into Emilia Bassano, a real historical figure. The story of both women and their struggles in getting their writing read and how both had to hide behind a man’s name to accomplish that was amazing. I highly recommend this book. I give it 4.5 stars out of 5 so I’m rounding up to 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book is set to be published on August 20, 2024.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

By Any Other Name follows both Emilia and Melina, female playwrights centuries apart, attempting to make their names known in a male-dominated world. However, they do so by using a male surrogate to get their work noticed and published.

By Any Other Name was an absolutely delightful read. As an avid Shakespeare fan, I could not have enjoyed this more. We've all heard the theory that William Shakespeare did not write all or any of his plays or sonnets, and I'm ashamed to admit that I have never considered that a woman may have authored them instead. This was such a fun and fresh take on sexism within the publishing industry and in the world as a whole.

Jodi Picoult does a beautiful job of highlighting the barriers that women face in a male-centric society. I think that both Emilia and Melina perfectly encapsulate the frustration that most women feel when trying to make themselves known to the world. The parallels between the past and present show that, although we have made quite a bit of progress, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

I took away one star because the middle was a bit slow for me. However, overall I believe that this is a fantastic book. I really identified with the struggles that both Emilia and Melina faced, despite not being a writer myself. I think that this book does a wonderful job of describing not only what it is to be a woman, but also what it is to be human. I will definitely be adding this to my shelf when it is published in August of this year.

This is a dual POV told between modern day Melina and Shakespearian times Emilia. It’s the story of two play writers and the struggles women face having their stories told both today and in the 1500s. The idea of would you rather have your stories out the in the world without being credited or do you need to have your name attached.

I am a huge Jodi Piccolt fan and I love historical fiction, and I think this concept is unique and interesting BUT I also think the Emilia chapters need a massive editing. Her story, her struggle gets so lost in so much detail and minutia I go so bored with her sections. There was just too much going on in her story and so much was unnecessary. I wanted to like this book so much more and honestly I was just relieved when it was over.

I am facing challenges in reviewing this book. Although I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult, this particular book didn't resonate with me as much. However, as I progressed through the pages, it improved and grew on me. Surprisingly, I found the part set in the 1500s with Emilia more captivating than the present-day storyline featuring Melina. The historical context of women being restricted from publishing or writing plays and poetry during that era was not surprising, but delving into their lives proved to be truly fascinating. On the other hand, Melina's perspective felt somewhat implausible, and I found myself skimming through certain sections. Overall, I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars, rounding up from 3.5 stars, due to its commendable research and background in historical fiction.

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the ARC to read and review.

I love this one! It was a different kind of story setting for Picoult but she did her research. I was in the story almost and felt the feelings each woman was trying to express

Loved! It’s not the typical style you’d expect from Jodi but it was fascinating and kept me turning pages. Pacing did frustrate me because I wanted longer in certain time periods but I understand that would have made a thousand page book. Will absolutely recommend to everyone!

This phenomenal cornucopia of a book, By Any Other Name is an absolutely stunning and beautifully written by Jodi Picoult about a woman —Emilia Bassano—who could have written plays that we all assumed were written by Shakespeare. Gorgeous historical fiction with fascinating research about Emilia Bassano a real poet who was a contemporary writer during the same time period as Shakespeare. This twist forms the story of the narrative for Jodi Picoult. I am completely obsessed with this idea and I now want to re-read the plays by Shakespeare to look for the hints. For example, how did Shakespeare know so much about Italy, music and Jewish culture if he never travelled? And why did he not leave any unfinished plays when he died? And why would a writer with protofeminist characters not teach his daughters to write? I am an English major and a librarian, so this book was a delicious treat! The theory that Shakespeare’s plays could have been written by a woman and all the fabulous female characters in the plays that give insight into society’s judgments of women is a fascinating book!

I am truly honored to have received this ARC. Going into this story, I had no idea what it was about. Jodi Picoult has been one of my favorite authors since high school and I just automatically read anything she writes.
Historical fictions are not my favorite type of book and at points, the topic of Shakespear and the writing style was a tad over my head. It was a slow burn for me, but worth it for the ending.
With that said, I ended up being very invested in the story and talked to friends and clients about the messaging in the novel. I loved the broader messaging about females in society, oppression, misogyny, women's health, etc. Truly eye opening and such a reflection of society today.
On StoryGraph, I rated this a 4.5 star read. Here, I will round up to 5 because it made me care about a topic that I have not even thought about since English class.

An enthralling masterpiece that captivates from the very first page to the last.

From the outset, Picoult weaves a tapestry of emotions, characters, and conflicts that are as intricate as they are relatable. The narrative unfolds with a seamless blend of past and present, offering glimpses into the characters’ lives that are both illuminating and poignant.

I love Jodi Picoult. Her stories draw me in and I can't put them down. I'm now wondering if Shakespeare really did write his own works, or was it a strong woman who had no other choice. Food for thought.

5 out of 5 stars. This is a must read this summer.

I wasn’t sure I would be interested in this story because it spans time from the 1500s to today. I wasn’t sure I would be able to relate to a woman in the 1500s. I was wrong. This became one of my favorite books of the year and one of my all time favorites by Jodi Picoult. Emilia in 1581 is a young girl who is raised in the home of a Countesses after the death of her father, and allowed the life and education as many are not at her age. She later becomes the mistress of a Lord until she is turned out and her life falls down around her. Along the way, she begins to write poems, sonnets and plays. But women of the time can’t be published and so she must sell her works to the playwright of the time, William Shakespeare just to keep food on the table.

Melina, in modern times, is an aspiring playwright that finds it hard to get any traction because most of the published playwrights are white men. She soon finds out that her long lost relative is a woman from the 1500s named Emilia Bassano. She begins writing a play about Emilia and the problems of her life and inability to break into the life of a known playwright. But Melina finds she is not able to get recognized for her play so she makes a decision that will change her life.

The parallels of the women 500 years apart are significant. They both decide that it is more important for their works to be heard than it is for them to be known for them. “ There once was a girl who became invisible so that her words might not be.”

Do yourself a favor and read the author’s note at the end. The amount of research done by the author is exhaustive and adds a lot to the story.

Thank you to Random House, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book for my honest review.

Normally I would say that this book is my new personality but in reality, it’s actually my existing personality & I’m pretty sure Jodi just took her pen swirled it around in my brain and pulled this story out of my brain waves.

It has:
- Shakespeare (more specifically roasting Shakespeare)
- Academia
- Theater
- Steamy makeouts on a moonlit night
- Reading between the lines
- Plays upon plays upon plays
- Secret messages
- Old manuscripts
- Forbidden romance
- Comedy, tragedy, history
- Iconic lines
- HERstory
- Intellectual enemies to lovers
- Exploring libraries
- Platonic friendships
- Women’s struggles
- Art, music, poetry
- Legacies
- Burnt Letters
- Witty references
- Grudges
- Forgotten historical characters
- Just a touch of musical theater

This one is a little different than Jodi’s typical MO - we have a much more historical fiction lens on it (still ofc fast paced and wonderful).

Each character is layered, flawed and real. I laughed, I cried, I smiled at Jodi's Easter eggs throughout. It is entertaining while still being SO poignant and telling important stories. I see Jodi's life reflected back through these characters, I can tell how personal it is. I can also see piece of me sprinkled throughout and I connected very deeply to this book. I explored the two timelines of comedy, tragedy & life in between. 10/10 no questions asked, my favorite book of the year so far and one that will hold a special place in my heart forever.

A woman in current time has discovered her ancestor actually wrote the plays that we thought Shakespeare wrote.

Times have not changed a lot either. Just as in the 1500’s, she may have to either pretend to be a man or borrow a name from one.

Most of this took place in the 1500’s, and this was the first book by this author that didn’t click with me.


NetGalley/ RHPG Ballentine August 20,2024

This is the story of women writers who had to hide behind a man to get their work published from Shakespeare's time to the present time.

By Any Other Name is a book by Jodi Picoult that explores the experiences of women in the playwriting industry during the 1500s-1600s. The story follows Emilia, a woman who was raised as a musician and became a mistress to an older Count. Despite the odds, she continued to write, earning pennies on the dollar to support herself and her love for writing. Her secret love, which inspired Romeo and Juliet, is revealed in the book. The author reveals that women were not treated as equally by their peers as men, and that he may not have written all of his famous plays. The book is a must-read for those interested in historical fiction and female empowerment.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC for an honest review.

It's been over a decade since I last read a novel by Jodi Picoult, but when I had the chance to get an early copy of "By Any Other Name" I immediately jumped on it - and 500+ pages later, I have no regrets.

As the title would suggest, the novel is a nod to William Shakespeare and the many works attributed to him - but gives a much-needed twist and examination to the events of the past. Told across alternating perspectives, the story opens in New York City in 2024, where struggling playwriting Melina Green is trying to make a name for herself in the male-dominated theater industry. Her roommate and friend Andre, a black gay man, shares in a number of her frustrations and after a night of too much drinking, submits Melina's play to a competition - but uses the name "Mel Green" to mask Melina's gender. When "By Any Other Name" wins, however, Melina and Andre are forced into a complicated ruse in order to see the play to fruition, all while hiding it from NYT critic Jasper Tolle, whom Melina remembers as the critic that destroyed her work when she was a student at Bard.

The second perspective dives back to 16th century England, where Emilia Battano is sold by her remaining family to serve as a courtesan to Lord Chamberlain. His work in theater, however, piques her interest, and gives Emilia the chance to begin influencing the works that make it on stage, and to become familiar with the playwrights of the time. She begins writing works of her own, inspired by her own life and childhood, and is given an opportunity to see her words become printed and come to life... even if it means her name will never be attributed to them. As time passes, we see how the events that shape her life - falling in love with someone she can never be with, being forced into an abusive marriage after she falls out of favor with Lord Chamberlain, and becoming a mother - influence the work she creates that she ultimately gives to William Shakespeare.

This is a fascinating novel that not only does a deep-dive into the validity of Shakespeare's works and who the true author(s) behind them might be, but also sheds a glaring spotlight onto the ongoing bias within the theater industry at large. It's clear that Picoult did an immense amount of research in this novel, which she covers in more detail in the afterword. Emelia's character and story was the most compelling to me, and her character was beautifully crafted and complex - a strong, intelligent, and dedicated woman who was born several centuries too early, and thus taken advantage of by a number of men. Melina's story seemed to have less focus, but served to tether the past to the present and how many things have simultaneously changed yet stayed the same.

This was a longer read for me, but I enjoyed the journey and how well Picoult weaved in fact with her own creative liberties. So excited for when "By Any Other Name" is published in August 2024!