Shakespeare's Sisters

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This remarkable work about women writers in the English Renaissance challenges our understanding of the Shakespearean period by immersing us in the lives of four women dedicated to their craft long before the concept of “a room of one’s own” existed. Through an innovative narrative of everyday life in Shakespeare’s England, Ramie Targoff takes us from Queen Elizabeth's lavish coronation in the mid-sixteenth century to the private worlds of these writers, who lived at a time when women were legally considered the property of men. While some may recognize Mary Sidney, an accomplished poet and sister of Sir Philip Sidney, fewer know of Aemilia Lanyer, the first woman to publish a book of original poetry in the seventeenth century, offering a feminist perspective on the crucifixion. Elizabeth Cary made history with the first original play by a woman, focusing on the Jewish princess Mariam's struggles. Anne Clifford, a lifelong diarist, fought tirelessly against a patriarchal system that sought to deny her land in a notorious inheritance battle. Despite their domestic responsibilities and lack of support, these women carved out their identities as writers, uncovering hidden rooms of creativity. Targoff opens the doors to their extraordinary legacies, enriching our understanding of the Renaissance and providing a vital female perspective on life during Shakespeare’s era.