An enjoyable read if an unlikely historical novel. What are the odds that William Shakespeare would travel to the American colony of Jamestown in order to escape a vengeful fellow playwright? However, the pairing of Shakespeare's The Tempest with a fictionalized account of a shipwreck in the Bermudas was engaging.

I was somewhat bored with the love story--it seems like nearly every book I've read recently features a woman who is too emotionally scarred or froward to be in a relationship and a strong, silent type who manages to coax her out of her shell. It's getting a little old, writers. Let's see some new plots. ( )

An interesting "what if" take on Shakespeare's inspiration for writing 'The Tempest,' this book imagines a voyage from England to America gone wrong and the story that unfolds as the crew and passengers are marooned on an unknown island....with the Bard himself travelling among them -- incognito, of course. while I generally prefer my historical reading to have a strong basis in fact, this clearly fictitious story was enjoyable, though not gripping. ( )

An easy read that takes us on a sea voyage to the new colonies of Virginia. A tempest at sea puts the damaged ship and its contents on the Bermudas. love blooms, and the play, "The Tempest" is created by the ship's historian - really Shakespeare. the research made the reading fairly interesting. ( )

A twist on Shakespeare and his writing of the "Tempest." Actually, the story of a young girl forced into life as servant, and how her journey to Jamestown with an irritating mistress is interrupted by a storm that leaves the ship and it's passengers stranded on a deserted island in the Bahamas during the reign of James I.

How the castaways remake themselves into a society, how they learn to survive and thrive (or not) and how "Miranda" befriends the ship's historian who has his own secrets is the heart of the story that provides not only a wealth of history about ELizabeth I and her reign, but also about Shakespeare and fellow playwrights , nautical history and the colonization of Jamestown in the New World, and the persecution of Catholics during the reign of Elizabeth.

How the young servant girl and the ship's historian find common ground in shared secrets and become friends is a wonderful storyline in itself, but the the threads of this novel that weave together history and fiction provide the reader with satisfying entertainment throughout the novel. Miranda is an intriguing character and her growth from scared and shy young girl to confident and able chef and woman is a delight to experience. ( )

The Good Stuff

* Extremely well researched!!
* Fresh and entertaining
* Absorbing, it took me a few reads of the first few pages, but after that I did not want to put it down
* It makes me want to read The Tempest by Shakespeare
* Wonderfully descriptive without being too flowery or polite.
* The description of the storm is fantastically real you almost feel seasick
* Loved the metamorphosis of the main character -- brilliantly done
* Wonderful ending

The Not so Good Stuff

* Would have liked a bit stronger of an opener, but again that is due more to my lack of focus than to the authors talents (Ok, I started reading it while Jesse was still awake and screaming -- probably not a good idea)
* Makes me want to read The Tempest -- hmm better see if they are doing it at Stratford this year

Favorite Quotes/Passages

"Despite my dislike for the old crow, I felt sorry for the terror I saw in her eyes'"

"For myself, I wished for a quick end, the sooner to join my dear father and mother, cruelly taken from me by queen and plague - one fate no more merciful than the other."

"The same woman whose name I'd been given, no doubt in the hope of protecting us. A daughter christened, even if in the wrong church, after her, Elizabeth the queen, might be a talisman: You see, we named our child after our beloved queen! Is this not proof enough of our loyalty."

"It is a gift. Your love of food makes it delicious"

What I Learned

* Really sucked to be a women in the early 1600's
* Having any sort of religious conviction was a very bad thing in the 1600's
* Shakespeare was one interesting fellow

Who Should/Shouldn't Read

* Auntie Sheila is going to love this one and I think I will lend it to her
* Lovers of Historical Fiction
* Pretty much anyone

4.5 Dewey's ( )