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From the author of The Book of Gothel comes the queer, magical story behind Shakespeare’s sonnets, as told
by one of his most famous subjects – the incendiary and mysterious Dark Lady.
England, 1603. Rose Rushe’s passion for life runs deep-she laughs too loudly, meddles with astrology and music, and pays no heed to her mother’s warnings to guard her reputation. When Rose’s father dies and a noble accuses her and her best friend Cecely of witchcraft, they flee to London and make their way as occultists, secretly selling love charms and astrological advice. Their thriving underground business leads them to young noble Henry and playwright Will Shakespeare, and so begins a brief, tempestuous, and powerful romance – one filled with secret longings and deep betrayals.
Praise for The Book of Gothel:
‘Mary McMyne is a magician’ Gregory Maguire, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked
‘McMyne’s shimmering debut gives a fresh, exciting backstory to one of the most famous villains in fairy tale lore . . . the result is a sprawling epic, full of magic, love, and heartbreak. Fans of Circe and The Wolf and the Woodsman will devour this taut, empowering fairy tale’ Publishers Weekly
by one of his most famous subjects – the incendiary and mysterious Dark Lady.
England, 1603. Rose Rushe’s passion for life runs deep-she laughs too loudly, meddles with astrology and music, and pays no heed to her mother’s warnings to guard her reputation. When Rose’s father dies and a noble accuses her and her best friend Cecely of witchcraft, they flee to London and make their way as occultists, secretly selling love charms and astrological advice. Their thriving underground business leads them to young noble Henry and playwright Will Shakespeare, and so begins a brief, tempestuous, and powerful romance – one filled with secret longings and deep betrayals.
Praise for The Book of Gothel:
‘Mary McMyne is a magician’ Gregory Maguire, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked
‘McMyne’s shimmering debut gives a fresh, exciting backstory to one of the most famous villains in fairy tale lore . . . the result is a sprawling epic, full of magic, love, and heartbreak. Fans of Circe and The Wolf and the Woodsman will devour this taut, empowering fairy tale’ Publishers Weekly
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Reviews
Smart, swift, sure-footed and fleet-winged, The Book of Gothel launches its magic from a most reliable source: the troubled heart. Mary McMyne is a magician. Her take on the Rapunzel tale glows like a cloisonné gem set against a fist of dark soapstone
McMyne's debut is a reinvention of the Rapunzel fairy tale, a luscious origin story from the witch's point of view . . . McMyne melds folklore with actual historical figures and cleverly bookends the narrative with opening and closing chapters set in the twenty-first century
The Book of Gothel is wonderfully rich with historical detail, and sparkles with the intermingled magic of gods and goddesses, seers and wisewomen. Haelewise is a memorable heroine, worthy of legend. Readers will see the story of Rapunzel in a new and refreshing light
McMyne's shimmering debut gives a fresh, exciting backstory to one of the most famous villains in fairy tale lore: the witch who put Rapunzel in her tower . . . the result is a sprawling epic, full of magic, love, and heartbreak. Fans of Circe and The Wolf and the Woodsman will devour this taut, empowering fairy tale