Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Klein, Lisa
5 Reviews
(3)
YA
The early romantic entanglements of Will Shakespeare with two Hathaway sisters and a London tavern maid provide the entertaining material for this fictional version of the playwright's love life (and serve to explain why he often wrote of strong women and disguises). Solid research bolsters Klein's vision of Will's world; Renaissance theatrical practices; and Meg, the muse he meets but doesn't marry. Reading list.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(4)
YA
A dalliance between Sir Walter Ralegh and Lady Cate leads Queen Elizabeth to exile the young woman to the Roanoke Colony. As Cate struggles to survive, her attachments to England and Ralegh fade. Though the romance thread is unconvincing, the story, seen through the eyes of a Croatoan Indian, a colonist, and an imperialist explorer, provides thoughtful perspective on the Lost Colony.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(4)
YA
Raised on the moor by three women practicing pagan magic, Albia slowly learns difficults truths about her past and her potential. As in her previous novel Ophelia, Klein creates a backstory to flesh out Shakespeare's female players. An excess of characters and some plot contrivances undermine the pacing and the historical richness of this revisioning of Macbeth.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(4)
YA
Two close cousins end up on opposing sides during the Civil War. The girls survive the Battle of Gettysburg and reunite to witness Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It is difficult at the outset to believe pro-Union Lizzie's dedication to her simpering cousin, but character development helps bring the story to a pleasing, if predictable, end. An author's note and teacher's guide are appended. Reading list, websites.
Reviewer: Juliet S. King
(3)
YA
In this retelling of Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view, Ophelia uses Juliet's trick with poison to fake her death in order to save herself and Hamlet's unborn child. Overlooking the discrepancies between Klein's version and Shakespeare's, this proves to be a compelling novel with a human, flawed, and very independent main character.
Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman
5 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.