By Any Other Name: A Novel By Jodi Picoult

In Jodi Picoult’s evocative novel, By Any Other Name, two women from different centuries grapple with the constraints of their eras while striving to leave their mark on the world through the written word. The story intertwines the lives of Melina Green, a modern-day playwright, and Emilia Bassano, a trailblazing woman from Elizabethan England.

Melina Green, struggling to break into a male-dominated theater industry, finds her chances of staging her new play dimmed by the barriers faced by female playwrights. Her best friend takes a bold step by submitting Melina’s work to a festival under a male pseudonym, risking both their reputations to give her play a chance to shine.

In 1581, Emilia Bassano is a well-educated ward of English aristocrats, gifted in storytelling but silenced by the gender norms of her time. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she becomes the mistress of the Lord Chamberlain, who controls the theatrical world of England. Witnessing the power of playwrights’ words, Emilia devises a daring plan to have her own work performed by paying the famous actor William Shakespeare to act as her front.

By Any Other Name explores the courage and ambition of these two women as they navigate a world that stifles their voices and ambitions. With meticulous historical research and a rich narrative, Picoult’s novel sheds light on Emilia Bassano’s real-life contributions to literature and raises timeless questions about the lengths one should go to for their art. 📚❤️