Book Notes | 'Hamnet'
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell is an historical novel that imagines the courtship and early domestic life of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, at the time of the bubonic plague in the late 1500s.
Most of the story is set in Stratford-on-Avon and in Hewlands, a farming community a mile or so west of Stratford, where William teaches Latin at the grammar school and Agnes grows herbs and plants and raises honeybees. The story ends in London at the Globe Theater where the play Hamlet is performed.
The novel is organized along two parallel story lines. The author describes life in the community before Agnes and William meet and marry. We also learn about their parents and siblings.
The second story line takes place in the present, on a day in which the Shakespeares’ daughter Judith is sick. As she lies in bed with a fever and developing buboes, the novelist shows what other members of the family are doing. The focus is on Hamnet, Judith’s twin, who spends his day looking for someone to help his sister.
When Agnes returns home, she swaddles Judith is a basket close to the fireplace. Unbeknownst to Agnes, Hamnet then crawls in beside his twin and cuddles. Only one of the children survives.
Grief at the loss of a child
The story based in the present conveys the grief the parents feel at the loss of one of their children and the form this grief takes in both their lives.
It is thought that the play Hamlet was written and produced in memory of Hamnet.
Most members of the UMRA Book Club liked the book or at least parts of it, including the tie-in to the plague. Agnes was the character many of the readers found the most interesting. One member particularly appreciated her intuition. Agnes’s brother Bartholomew was also a favorite character. He knew how to deal with his sister’s husband in a teasing manner.
One member said, “I thank author Maggie O’Farrell [for this book]; there is a depth of knowledge and skills here.” The author’s description of grief was especially powerful.
—Becky Anderson, UMRA Book Club member
Book Club I to meet August 19
Fri, Aug 19 2022, 2pm
Becky Anderson will lead the discussion of Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell when the UMRA Book Club I meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, August 19.
Email Pat Tollefson for more information, including suggestions for starting a new book club.
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.