In a quiet manor house in Oxfordshire, an ailing housekeeper by the name of Aerlene Ward feels that she must now confess the great secret that has shaped her life: she is the illegitimate daughter of William Shakespeare, England’ s most famous playwright.With a brilliant eye and ear for this rich period of history, Richard B. Wright brings to life the teeming streets of Elizabethan London and the seasonal rhythms of rural life in Oliver Cromwell’ s England as he interweaves the intriguing stories of the lovely Elizabeth, who is seduced by a struggling young writer from Stratford, and her plain but clever daughter who must live with the consequences. As their lives unfold, secrets are revealed, love is found and lost, and futures are forever changed. Readers will be fascinated by glimpses of the young Will as an actor with the Queen’ s Men and, fifteen years later, as the world-weary but increasingly wealthy playwright. An engaging blend of invention and historical detail, Mr. Shakespeare’ s Bastard confirms Wright as one of our finest storytellers.

PerfectBound e-book exclusive extras: "Richard B. Wright: Hero of the Humdrum"; etc.Winner in 2001 of Canada's two most prestigious literary awards -- the Governor General's Award and the Giller Prize -- Richard B. Wright's celebrated novel Clara Callan is the powerful, moving story of two sisters and their life-changing experiences on the eve of World War II.Ultimately, both discover not only the joys of love and possibility, but also the darker side of life -- violence, deception, and loss -- lurking just beneath the surface of everyday experience.