Swan Town: The Secret Journal Of Susanna Shakespeare Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
The witty and engaging diary of Susanna Shakespeare, the young daughter of William Shakespeare, from a first–time author. Thirteen–year–old Susanna Shakespeare longs for something exciting to happen in her boring village of Stratford, England. Her father, Will, is always off in London, busily working on new plays, and Susanna yearns to be a part of that world. When Susanna's uncle gets himself in trouble with the Master of Revels, and Susanna is whisked off to London to help, the stage is set for adventure...and romance. Told in a diary format with Susanna's humorous, witty perspective of late–sixteenth–century Elizabethan England, this extensively researched debut novel offers an unconventional glimpse into the life of the famed Bard's family.
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (March 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060581263
ISBN-13: 978-0060581268
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,765,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #51 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > Biographical > European #79 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > Renaissance #915 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Performing Arts
I enjoyed this book enormously. It made me think about the connections between religion, geography, history and the times that are the backdrop in the book. The diary style made the book move quickly, and learning about Shakepeare, his place in history, and the life of a young girl in his day was joyous exploration. A great middle school read for students studying European history or Shakespeare's plays. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
Remember your high school History? Me neither. "Swan Town" will give you a second chance. It is written in the voice of Shakespeare's 13-year-old daughter Susanna, a girl who has to grow up real fast. And she is the one who will supply you with all the really interesting information about Shakespeare's era. Did Sister William ever tell us about "ducking"? Of course disease was rampant - there were horse droppings all over the streets! Shakespeare had a son named "Hamnet"? Huh! The pudding game...what's that? Need a snappy retort for that rude neighbor? See page 41. Besides providing all these absorbing facts, Susanna places Shakespeare in historical context for you. So maybe the next time you hear Shakespeare quoted you will have a better understanding of what he was saying...or leaving unsaid.
This book was outstanding all the way through until close to the end. So all the glowing reviews here I absolutely agreed with. It brought the life and times of Shakespeare alive in a wonderful way and detailed way. (I could smell the herbs the author described.) The end of the book greatly surprised me though because it left reality so far away--too far away for it to still be historical fiction. It's as though it broke a trust with the reader and became so fantastic and untrue that I no longer enjoyed it. It became contrived with it's overdone plot and the execution of a particular character that I won't name in this summary. While I liked portions of this book very much, I would have to recommend a different book for the purpose of learning about Shakespeare and that is All the World's A Stage by Gretchen Woelfle. Alternatively read this book too, but just stop reading after everyone goes to see Hamlet. Just close the book and thank it for all you learned up to that page.
Swan Town: The Secret Journal of Susanna Shakespeare The Shakespeare Stealer Series: The Shakespeare Stealer / Shakespeare's Scribe / Shakespeare's Spy Minecraft Journal: A Secret Minecraft Journal (Minecraft, Minecraft Journal, Minecraft Journals, Minecraft Book, Minecraft Books, Minecraft Diaries, Minecraft Diary, Minecraft Book for Kids) Susanna Wesley : Servant of God Susanna Wesley (The Sowers) 150+ Stephen Foster Songs Songbook - Piano Sheet Music Book: Includes Beautiful Dreamer, Oh! Susanna, Camptown Races, Old Folks At Home, etc. (American Folk Songs Books) (Volume 1) Journal: 8.5 x 11, 160 Page Lined Journal/Notebook (Phoenix Journal) (Volume 1) Journal: 160 Page Lined Journal/Notebook (8.5 x 11 Large Journal/Notebook) (Volume 96) Two Towns in Provence: Map of Another Town and a Considerable Town [Paperback] [1983] (Author) M. F. K. Fisher Every Town Is a Sports Town: Business Leadership at ESPN, from the Mailroom to the Boardroom This House, This Town: One Couple's Love Affair with an Old House and a Historic Town O'Christmas Town: 6 Christmas Novellas (O Little Christmas Town) "Swan Lake" and "The Sleeping Beauty": Suites from the Ballets in Full Score (Dover Music Scores) The Trumpet of the Swan (full color) Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova The Black Swan: Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable: With a new section: "On Robustness and Fragility" (Incerto) The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Taleb, Nassim Nicholas (1st (first) Edition) [Hardcover(2007)] Nautor's Swan Swan Song The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
