On My Bookshelf with Morin Bishop
By Morin Bishop, lifetime writer and editor and current co-owner of Womrath Bookshop
May 12, 2021; You won’t find a more gorgeously written book than Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, an engrossing novel about Shakespeare’s family and the tragic death of his son Hamnet, who died of the plague at the tender age of 11. (Hamlet and Hamnet were essentially interchangeable names in Elizabethan England.) The bare historical outlines are present, but O’Farrell’s wondrous imagination brings both William and wife Agnes to vivid life, endowing each with a troubled family history and a rich inner life. William is masterfully drawn, but the real star of the book is the mystical Agnes, one of the most compelling, fully realized protagonists I’ve encountered in recent fiction.
Torn apart by their grievous loss, William and Agnes struggle to find their way back to each other, and as readers, we fervently hope for their reunion, even after Shakespeare leaves Stratford and travels to London to make his name as a playwright and director. The resolution of their relationship and the novel’s intriguing theory on the connection between the play Hamlet—written within months of Hamnet’s death—and the couple’s real-life tragedy are just two of the many joys of this brilliant, unforgettable novel. Don’t miss this one.
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Arts Directory
The Bronxville Public Library traces its origins back to 1875, when it was a small lending library housed in a room attached to the “Bronxville Model School.” The Library was officially chartered in 1906 and moved into the Village Hall Building. The needs of the library grew with the town and, in 1942, a new standalone building was erected, which is where the Library is today. Over the years, the Library was renovated and expanded to meet the needs of the community.
The Library has wonderful resources for adults and children and offers a comfortable and relaxing environment. The Library also houses a fine art collection, consisting principally of Bronxville painters and sculptors.
The Library offers special events, art exhibitions, and programs for adults, young adults and children. All events are open to the public, unless otherwise indicated.
The Bronxville Public Library
201 Pondfield Road (Midland Avenue & Pondfield Road)
914-337-7680
Concordia Conservatory, a preeminent center for music education in Westchester County, is a welcoming community where children and adults find lifelong inspiration and joy through learning, performing, listening to, and participating with others in music. Concordia Conservatory, a community outreach division of Concordia College, offers top quality music programs for early childhood, youth, adults and seniors. The Conservatory's vision is to enrich the lives of the people in our community through music.
Executive Director: Kathleen Suss
Concordia Conservatory of Music & Art
171 White Plains Rd
Bronxville, NY
914-395-4507
99B Pondfield Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-779-5053
117 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-779-7979
76 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, NY
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