The Gentleman Poet

July 26, 2010
Johnson imagines a backstory for Shakespeare's The Tempest in this entertaining tale of mystery, romance, and shipwreck. Recently orphaned, Elizabeth signs on as servant to the crabby benefactress of the Virginia Company, sailing with her from London to the newly founded Jamestown Colony. A colossal tempest strands the passengers and crew near the Bermuda islands, rumored to be inhabited by spirits and cannibals, but upon going ashore they discover a tropical paradise. When the ship's cook falls ill, Elizabeth takes charge of feeding the castaways. Her experiments with native herbs and vegetables are such a hit that she is soon cooking up great feasts for the group. (Johnson includes some of her recipes—for dishes like oyster stew and baygrape jelly.) When Elizabeth gives cooking lessons to her swarthy fellow cook, a romance, encouraged by the pair's mysterious friend William Strachey, blossoms. After William creates a play for the amusement of those stranded, Elizabeth—cast as Miranda—begins to unravel his true identity, and the bond they develop changes the course of her life. Johnson may not be Shakespeare, but her tribute is nevertheless a well-crafted drama.

August 1, 2010
The fate of Elizabeth Persons, a servant aboard a ship bound for the Americas, is changed forever when the ship wrecks in the Bermudas, and she must take on a new role as the chef for the surviving crew. Among the survivors is the ships historian, William Strachey, whose wit, writing, and wisdom suggest that he could be William Shakespeare. Will helps Elizabeth gain her freedom from the cruel Mistress Horton, and the two characters are united by their determination to escape the persecution they faced in England. Set in the 1600s, this well-researched novel is sure to win praise from historical-fiction readers, but it will also appeal to Shakespeare buffs, who will enjoy the parallels to The Tempest. Pair The Gentlemen Poet with Robert Nyes The Late Mr. Shakespeare (1999) and Bruce Cooks Young Will (2004), among the numerous novels that speculate on the life of the Bard.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)