by Maggie O'Farrell
Published 2020
NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Now a major motion picture starring Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, and Joe Alwyn, directed by ACADEMY AWARD® winner Chloé Zhao. The bestselling author of The Marriage Portrait delivers a deeply moving novel about the death of Shakespeare’s eleven-year-old son, Hamnet, and the years leading up to the production of his great play. "Miraculous... brilliant... A novel told with the urgency of a whispered prayer — or curse... A richly drawn and intimate portrait of 16th-century English life set against the arrival of one devastating death." —Ron Charles, The Washington Post England, 1580: The Black Death creeps across the land, an ever-present threat, infecting the healthy, the sick, the old and the young alike. The end of days is near, but life always goes on. A young Latin tutor—penniless and bullied by a violent father—falls in love with an extraordinary, eccentric young woman. Agnes is a wild creature who walks her family’s land with a falcon on her glove and is known throughout the countryside for her unusual gifts as a healer, understanding plants and potions better than she does people. Once she settles with her husband on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, she becomes a fiercely protective mother and a steadfast, centrifugal force in the life of her young husband, whose career on the London stage is just taking off when his beloved young son succumbs to sudden fever. Hamnet is mesmerizing, seductive, impossible to put down—a magnificent leap forward from one of our most gifted novelists.
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Top voices for narrating this book
Female · Middle-Aged · Character-Voice · Narration · Calm · Mysterious · +3 more
“A middle-aged female voice perfectly captures the intimate and deeply atmospheric tone required, delivering measured pacing with a profound dramatic presence ideal for historical narratives.”
British · Middle Aged · Female · Narrative Story · Neutral
“This British-accented, middle-aged voice offers a neutral yet expressive quality, providing the calm and serious delivery suitable for capturing the period's emotional weight.”
Female · Middle-Aged · Narration · Soft · Calm · Gentle · +3 more
“The soft, gentle texture of this voice provides a truly intimate listening experience, embodying the calm introspection needed for conveying familial bonds and loss.”
Female · Middle-Aged · Conversational · Narration · Character-Voice · Social-Media · +58 more
“A skilled storyteller, this voice brings a conversational warmth combined with a dramatic intensity, adeptly navigating the story's emotional landscape and rich historical detail.”
Female · Middle-Aged · Calm · Soft · Friendly · Narrative · +5 more
“Her reflective and measured cadence, coupled with an intimate softness, is excellent for drawing listeners into the deeper, serious themes of the book, despite a non-British accent.”
For listeners: use the Best Narrator voice above in ElevenReader or Fish Audio. Character casting is for authors producing audiobooks with studio tools.
A woman of wild spirit and deep intuition, her voice should convey both earthy wisdom and fierce maternal protectiveness, with an underlying sense of otherworldliness.
Female · Young · Character-Voice · Advertisement · Expressive · Confident · +3 more
“A captivating young British voice, Rarity embodies Agnes's wild spirit through her expressive and energetic delivery, perfectly balanced with a touch of mysterious sophistication.”
British · Middle Aged · Female · Narrative Story · Intense
“This British-accented, dramatic voice channels the fierce maternal protectiveness and underlying intensity of Agnes, offering a powerful, engaging interpretation of her character.”
British · Middle Aged · Female · Narrative Story · Pleasant
“The natural warmth and clear articulation of this British voice convey Agnes's earthy wisdom and conversational nature, providing a grounded yet inviting presence.”
Female · Young · Conversational · Soft · Warm · Intimate · +3 more
“With a warm, intimate tone and conversational style, Alle’s voice suits Agnes's intuitive nature and makes her deeply relatable, adding a mysterious softness.”
Female · Young · Conversational · Character-Voice · Social-Media · Educational · +47 more
“Possessing an expressive and mysterious vocal presence, Manon effectively communicates Agnes's intense, otherworldly quality while maintaining an engaging, youthful conversational flow.”
Starting as a vulnerable and intellectual young man, his voice should evolve to show growing confidence and dramatic flair as he pursues his theatrical ambitions.
Female · Male · Young · Middle-Aged · Old · Character-Voice · +11 more
“The character's journey from vulnerability to dramatic flair requires a voice capable of depth and intensity, which this male tone can uniquely convey as he pursues his ambitions.”
Also recommended for: Hamnet
An innocent and lively young boy whose brief life and profound impact are at the heart of the story. His voice should be bright and vulnerable.
Female · Male · Young · Middle-Aged · Old · Character-Voice · +11 more
“Although deep, this voice's youthful undertone could hint at Hamnet's vulnerability, capturing the profound impact of a young boy's brief life within the story.”
Also recommended for: William Shakespeare