Herbs, Shrouds, Dust: Hamnet
*be aware of book spoilers ahead!*
In the back half of April, my book club chose to read Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. I’ve been wanting to pick this one up for a while, and actually had it checked out from the library for months sitting on a shelf, before our deadline pushed me to set aside work books and read for myself. Out of the 20-odd books that I’ve read this year, this is only the second book I have read for pure pleasure. I guess reading is reading, but it was nice to pick up something for myself, even if I did pick it up and put it down finished in the span of a rushed 3 hours. (Here’s where I plug my TikTok videos).
Hamnet is about the plague, family, love, and loss, but mostly it’s a retelling/re-imagining of the death of Hamnet, Shakespeare’s only son. Although not much is known about Hamnet, we do know, historically, that he existed, and that “Hamnet” and “Hamlet” were pretty interchangeable names, which gives a little more spice to Shakespeare’s most famous play.
The book follows a non-linear storyline that dips, dives, and weaves around Agnes’ marriage to her husband and the birth of her children, and then shifts to the sickness and death of Hamnet and his surviving twin, Judith. Agnes can read people’s futures, and does everything on her own terms, a wild child. Cast out as the village freak, she doesn’t pay anyone much attention. When she meets a certain Latin tutor, though, they fall for each other instantly and get pregnant quickly. Agnes has always known she will have 2 healthy children, who will stand over her as she dies.
Agnes’ second pregnancy, though, is twins, and she suddenly realizes that fate is not on her side. Determined to thwart the future, she gives a lot of attention to Judith, the most feeble of her kids, but the loss of Hamnet catches her and the family off guard, and everyone is drowned in grief, especially Agnes and her husband, who find their relationship fracturing under the weight of the loss.
The book, to me, was divided into two parts. The first was a sort of cottage-core world with danger looming, mostly focused on Agnes: her love story, her experience with childhood and motherhood, and her connection with her magic. The second was headlined by Hamnet as he searches for a cure for his sister’s illness and it plunges the reader into anxiety and grief. The writing was lovely and paced to savor. Although this is a book you can read in 3 hours, I would recommend giving yourself time to enjoy the world that O’Farrell creates: it is descriptive and enticing, and yet doesn’t seem so far away from ours, despite the fact that it is set 400 years ago.
What stood out to me most was the depth and spirituality of familial love. Agnes’ love for her children and her connection to motherhood was beautifully described, and the relationship between Judith and Hamnet made me tear up–the bond between them, and the subsequent guilt and grief that Judith has after Hamnet dies was striking. I also appreciated that Shakespeare (throughout the entire novel) was never referred to by his given name. Recoding one of the most famous playwrights of all time into a father and husband was a really powerful way to define him as, first and foremost, a part of the family, and only second or third, someone who might write plays.
Ultimately the book explores what it feels like to get left behind, whether due to death, fame and fortune, or the falling out of love. It was an emotional read, and certainly not a light one, but I enjoyed it all the same. It tasted, to me, like the powdery violet hard candies you can buy at some bodegas, and smelled like a smokey fire. It made me think about what we do to save the people we love, and about whether I should believe in ghosts. I think if I could choose a season to read this one, it would be winter, curled up next to a hearth with family all around where I can see them (and hug them) after turning the final page.
So, maybe pick this one up for the coming winter, and go have a listen to my playlist about it here:
