Gunn Memorial Library Thursday Evening Book Club - By Any Other Name, by Jodi Picoult

In August, the Thursday evening book club at the Gunn will discuss another tour de force novel by Jodi Picoult: By Any Other Name. Readers are encouraged to participate in a dynamic discussion.

Aspiring playwright Melina Green has just completed a powerful new drama inspired by her ancestor, the Elizabethan poet Emilia Bassano. But in today’s theater world—still riddled with inequality—Melina doubts her work will ever see the stage. Disheartened and hesitant to risk another rejection, she’s blindsided when her best friend secretly submits the play to a prestigious festival under a male pseudonym.

In 1581, young Emilia Bassano is a ward of the English court, her intellect and talent nourished by lessons in language, history, and literature. Yet as a woman, her voice is silenced. When she’s forced into a relationship with the influential Lord Chamberlain—the man responsible for all theatrical productions in England—Emilia discovers the profound power of words to stir hearts and minds. Determined to make her mark, she hatches a daring plan: to bring her play to the public by enlisting a young actor named William Shakespeare to present it as his own.

Spanning centuries and told through dual narratives, By Any Other Name is a sweeping story of ambition, resilience, and the unrelenting pursuit of creative freedom. As both Melina and Emilia navigate the barriers placed before them, the novel raises provocative questions about authorship, legacy, and the price women pay to have their voices heard. Anchored in historical research, this moving tale ensures that Emilia Bassano’s name—and story—are remembered.

Registration is required: https://www.gunnlibrary.org/calendar/gml-thursday-book-club-by-any-other-name-by-jodi-picoult/