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A propulsive and piercing debut, set ten years before the events of Shakespeare’s historic play, about the ambition, power, and fate that define one of literature’s most notorious figures: Lady Macbeth.
Scotland, the 11th Century. Born in a noble household and granddaughter of a forgotten Scottish king, a young girl carries the guilt of her mother’s death and the weight of an unknowable prophecy. When she is married, at fifteen, to the Mormaer of Moray, she experiences firsthand the violence of a sadistic husband and a kingdom constantly at war. To survive with her young son in a superstitious realm, she must rely on her own cunning and wit, especially when her husband’s downfall inadvertently sets them free.
Suspicious of the dark devices that may have led to his father’s death, her son watches as his mother falls in love with the enigmatic thane Macbeth. Now a woman of stature, Lady Macbeth confronts a world of masculine power and secures the protection of her family. But the coronation of King Duncan and the political maneuvering of her cousin Macduff set her on a tragic course, one where her own success might mean embracing the very curse that haunts her and risking the child she loves.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 12, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593826584
- File size: 315014 KB
- Duration: 10:56:16
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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This moving audiobook imagining Lady Macbeth's early life receives extraordinary narrations by Angus King and Ell Potter. Ten years before the events of Shakespeare's play, "The Lady," at 15, is forced to marry the brutish Mormaer of Moray. They have a son, "The Boy," who displeases his sadistic father. Macbeth kills Moray in battle, occupies his castle, then falls in love with and marries "The Lady." Once "The Boy" learns who killed his father, his hostility toward Macbeth grows. King portrays "The Boy" with clarity and childlike urgency. Potter, as "The Lady," is soft-spoken, fiercely protective of her son, and passionate about her new husband. Thanks to outstanding performances by King and Potter, this fictionalized backstory will make reading MACBETH even more meaningful. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
May 31, 2024
Morris's debut is a prequel to Shakespeare's Macbeth. Before she ever becomes "Lady Macbeth," the novel's 15-year-old protagonist is married off to the Mormaer of Moray, a brutal and abusive husband. Satisfying his demand for an heir, she produces a son and devotes herself to raising the child. One day, the Mormaer rides out with his men and never returns. Instead, Lord Macbeth, who has killed the Mormaer, arrives to reclaim the land the Mormaer had taken from Macbeth's father. He is kind to the Lady, giving her respect she has not previously known. They fall in love and marry. Plagued by witchcraft and ghosts, Lady Macbeth has tried to outrun a witch's prophecy about her son. When Macbeth legally adopts the boy, she thinks she has succeeded, but fate has other plans. Morris debuts with a vivid picture of the brutality and harsh living conditions of the time and a Lady Macbeth who is introspective and politically savvy. Angus King and Ell Potter expertly narrate the story, alternating viewpoints among Lady Macbeth, Lord Macbeth, and the boy. Thick Scots accents require close attention but make for an atmospheric listen. VERDICT A captivating reimagining of the origins of Lady Macbeth. Pair with Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet.--Joanna M. Burkhardt
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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