By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult Summary

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult tells the intertwined stories of two female playwrights fighting for recognition across different centuries. The novel follows Emilia Bassano, a gifted writer in Elizabethan England who may have penned Shakespeare's plays, and her descendant Melina Green, a contemporary playwright in New York City who submits her work under a male pseudonym to overcome gender bias in theater.

By Any Other Name is ideal for readers who enjoy historical fiction with feminist themes, Shakespeare enthusiasts open to alternative authorship theories, and fans of dual-timeline narratives. This 528-page novel appeals to those interested in women's literary history, theatrical culture, and stories about fighting against systemic gender inequality. Fans of Jodi Picoult's signature issue-driven storytelling will find familiar territory exploring marginalization and resilience.

By Any Other Name divides readers, earning both five-star acclaim and mixed reviews. Many praise the compelling dual narratives, well-developed characters, and thought-provoking exploration of the Shakespeare authorship question. However, some longtime Picoult fans found the 528-page novel heavy-handed and repetitive in its messaging about women's oppression. Readers particularly interested in Elizabethan history, gender inequality in the arts, or Shakespeare controversies will likely find it rewarding.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult was published on August 20, 2024, by Random House Ballantine. This historical fiction novel represents a departure for Picoult, who typically writes contemporary issue-driven fiction. The book tackles the controversial theory that a woman, specifically Emilia Bassano, may have authored many of Shakespeare's most famous plays.

Emilia Bassano is the historical protagonist in By Any Other Name, a Jewish woman of Italian descent living in Elizabethan England with extraordinary literary gifts. Orphaned young and raised by the Countess of Kent, she becomes Lord Hunsdon's mistress at age 13. Despite the period's restrictions on women writers, Emilia secretly writes plays including Arden of Faversham, paying William Shakespeare to produce her work under his name while they split the profits.

By Any Other Name presents the theory that Emilia Bassano authored many of Shakespeare's plays, based on historical evidence Jodi Picoult researched. In the novel, Emilia writes plays secretly because women were barred from theater, using Shakespeare as a front. While this remains a debated theory in real scholarship, the book's author's note contains "real-life ties that will surprise you" about the historical Emilia Bassano. The novel aims to make this alternative authorship theory compelling and plausible.

By Any Other Name alternates between two interconnected storylines centuries apart—Emilia Bassano's life in 1580s Elizabethan England and her descendant Melina Green's contemporary struggles in New York City theater. Both women face gender discrimination that forces them to hide their authorship, with Melina eventually writing a play called By Any Other Name about Emilia's life. The parallel narratives highlight how women's creative voices have been suppressed across time, with each timeline complementing and enriching the other.

By Any Other Name features two protagonists across timelines: Emilia Bassano, a Jewish Elizabethan poet and secret playwright, and Melina Green, her modern-day descendant and struggling playwright. Key supporting characters include Lord Hunsdon (Emilia's kind patron), Christopher Marlowe (playwright who helps Emilia), William Shakespeare (who fronts Emilia's work), the Earl of Southampton (Emilia's love interest), Alphonso (Emilia's abusive husband), Andre (Melina's best friend), and Jasper Tolle (a theater critic).

By Any Other Name explores gender inequality in the arts, women's erasure from history, and the importance of female voices being heard and credited. The novel examines how women across centuries have been forced to hide their talents, face systemic discrimination in theater, and sacrifice recognition for survival. Additional themes include Jewish persecution, domestic violence, class barriers, the price of ambition, and the question of legacy versus immediate recognition. The book emphasizes that women's stories and contributions deserve acknowledgment.

In By Any Other Name, both Melina Green and Emilia Bassano face identical barriers as female playwrights separated by centuries. Melina submits her play about Emilia under a male pseudonym after experiencing harassment and rejection, mirroring Emilia's need to use William Shakespeare as a front for her work. Both women must navigate systems that devalue their voices, resort to deception to see their art performed, and struggle with whether to reveal the truth or accept invisibility for their work's survival.

Critics of By Any Other Name found the novel heavy-handed and repetitive in its feminist messaging, with some reviewers noting that commentary about women's oppression is repeated "over...and over...and OVER again". Longtime Picoult fans missed the emotional investment and subtlety of her earlier works, finding the 528-page book drawn out and exhausting. Some felt the novel "screams its commentary at the reader" rather than weaving themes organically, though many still appreciated the historical research and dual narratives.

The main message of By Any Other Name is that women's voices deserve to be heard and their names deserve to be said. Jodi Picoult emphasizes how female creativity has been systematically suppressed, stolen, and erased throughout history, from Elizabethan England to modern theater. The novel argues for recognizing women's contributions to literature and art, challenging historical narratives that credit men for potentially female-authored work, and demanding that women receive acknowledgment for their talents rather than being forced into invisibility or pseudonymity.