The Gentleman Poet - Kathryn Johnson

★★★★★★★★★★ (7/10)

This one was interesting.  When I read the back of the book to get an idea of what I was getting myself into, I didn't realize that it gave away one of the more intriguing mysteries of the plot: that one of the castaway characters is William Shakespeare. I supposed that there are enough pointed hints to figure out who he is (he goes by the name of Strachey instead of Shakespeare), but it would have been more fun to guess about him instead of know from the start. Other than that, I found that The Gentleman Poet was a great read that brought together history, fiction, and the mysterious figure of William Shakespeare.

The story actually focuses on a young serving girl, Elizabeth Persons.  At the time of the shipwreck, Elizabeth is 18 and has gone into servitude to save herself from a life on the streets as a prostitute in London.  When the novel begins, she is accompanying a rich, elderly woman, Mistress Horton, on a voyage that Horton helped fund to bring new settlers and supplies to the Jamestown settlement in Virginia.  It's easy to see, and very easy to believe, that Elizabeth doesn't like her position.  I found out later that until a year before, she lived with her mother and siblings in London running a shop, but the plague killed her family, and left Elizabeth in poverty.  So, used to a free life, Elizabeth has a hard time swallowing the grumpy orders of a bitter old lady. 

Unfortunately for all aboard, a lengthy and brutal storm hits their flotilla, and after a frightening battle, and after everyone believes they will all drown, the storm dies and their lone vessel, the Sea Venture, finds a haven in the Bermudas.  The problem here is that all of the passengers, including the sailors, have a fear of these islands.  They've been told stories about the Bermudas being inhabited by witches, evil spirits, and cannibals as well as violent wild beasts.  However, this horrifying image is not what these people find.  Instead, they find themselves in a veritable island paradise: there is plenty of easily caught wild game, vegetables, herbs and spices, and raw materials to build shelters and a new ship.  Still, their main focus is to get back on track and make their way to Virginia. 

The bulk of The Gentleman Poet takes place on these islands.  Elizabeth, still in servitude to Mistress Horton, must try to keep up with the most ridiculous demands.  Horton, whether mad or just trying to maintain whatever air of power she may have had, seems to believe that life will continue to be civilized and that she will be able to have all of the things that she'd had aboard ship and at home.  Such things as freshly laundered clothing, complicated and multi-course meals, furniture, servants, and the like were all part of her list of demands, and Elizabeth is hard put to meet all of them.   To keep her sanity, Elizabeth starts to collect wild herbs on her walks around the islands, and strikes up a friendship with the aging Will Strachey (I would imagine that he seem in his late forties or so, but he's never given a definite age).  He acts as a father figure, as Elizabeth's own father died many years ago, and gives her both advice and a confidante.  Will even acts as a bit of a matchmaker for her, though she seems to not want that kind of interference.  So life goes on for the reluctant islanders, and although work on a new vessel continues, dissent and mutiny threaten to keep them all marooned.  Before they can escape, the colony sees an execution by gunshot, a murder, desertion, drunks thrown in the stocks, and other public punishments.  The Bermudas may be a paradise, for those who understand how to enjoy it, but the group dynamics change drastically the longer they spend alone with themselves.

The historical note explains that this was a real event: a ship named Sea Venture did wreck in the Bermudas, a man named William Strachey did keep records of their time there, and the group did make it to Virgina.  Johnson points out that, though it is unlikely, it is possible that Shakespeare could have been part of that voyage.  There are gaps in his personal history where he seems to drop out of all knowledge, only to pop up again with a new play, or some new bit of information.  Also, this novel, as well as Strachey's account, is remarkably similar to Shakespeare's The Tempest.  A ship wrecks, the survivors are left to fend for themselves, love blossoms, and after much toil and many trials, there's a happy ending and all is well.  There are a great many differences between the two, but the likenesses between the play and historical accounts are striking.  Strachey's account apparently was published some years after Shakespeare's death, but if he was on the voyage, or just had access to Strachey's records, it would help to explain where Shakespeare got the idea for such a magical and miraculous play. 

Apart from my big, giant summary, a lot goes on, and Elizabeth's transformation from serving girl to a woman named Miranda who is a famous cook is a joy to read.  Shakespeare's part is very small, and although it's impossible to know if this character is true to his actual persona, I like to imagine him this way.  I think the seven stars is a bit low, but I'm sticking to that decision for various reasons.  I did like The Gentleman Poet, and I will read it again, but it just didn't give me enough feeling to get a higher rating.  Maybe the next read through will earn it another star.