The Stratford Library “Books Over Coffee” program continues with an online discussion of Maggie
O’Farrell’s award-winning bestseller, Hamnet, on Wednesday, April 28. The online Zoom program, hosted by
Linda LiDestri, will be held between 12-1 pm. The book talk is free and open to the public.
Drawing on Maggie O’Farrell’s long-term fascination with the little-known story behind Shakespeare’s
most enigmatic play, Hamnet is a luminous portrait of a marriage and, at its heart, the loss of a beloved child.
Set in Warwickshire in the 1580s during a deadly pandemic, the novel introduces Agnes, a woman as feared as
she is sought after for her unusual gifts. She settles with her husband in Henley Street, Stratford, and has
three children: a daughter, Susanna, and then twins, Hamnet and Judith. The boy, Hamnet, dies in 1596, a
victim of the devastating plague of the time. Four years or so later, the husband writes a play called “Hamlet”.
Limited reading copies of Hamnet, a New York Times Notable Book for 2020, are available for loan at
the library’s Circulation Desk. All “Books Over Coffee” titles are available at the Library or on Kindle eReaders
for loan. Patrons can also download the eBook or eaudiobook through the OverDrive app at the Library. The
current “Books Over Coffee” schedule through August 2021 is available at the Library.
For further information call the Library at: 203.385-4162 or register online and receive an invitation
link for Hamnet at: https://stratfordlibrary.libcal.com/event/7322147.
This press release was made possible by:
