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, Englands 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 Cromwells 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 Queens Men and, fifteen years later, as the world-weary but increasingly wealthy playwright. An engaging blend of invention and historical detail, Mr. Shakespeares Bastard confirms Wright as one of our finest storytellers.