Review of Interred With Their Bones
When Mother-Talk sent me the e-mail about Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell, I knew it sounded like a book that would interest me, but I had no idea how un-put-down-able it would be.
Kate Stanley is living out her dream: she is directing Hamlet at the Globe Theatre in Britain. Once a leading Shakespeare scholar, she had traded the academic life for watching Shakespeare’s legendary characters live and breathe on the stage.
When she is visited by her former mentor, Ros Howard, she is reluctant to get involved with whatever it is Ros claimed to have “found.” Little did she know that Ros’s mystery would lead to a fire at the Globe, a dead body, and a trail of literary clues leading through history.
Kate follows the clues to what is supposed to be a manuscript of one of Shakespeare’s lost plays - and maybe even the greatest discovery of all: Shakespeare’s true identity.
I studied Shakespeare’s plays as a theater major in college, but I didn’t know a whole lot about the man himself. It was fascinating to read how little the world really knows about the Bard of Avon - and about the various theories about whether or not the actor from Stratford actually wrote the plays.
Ms. Carrell has a gift of writing setting, and as I followed Kate’s trail through London, Harvard, Washington, D.C., Spain, and the American Southwest, I could “see” the places she visited. I had no idea that there is a reproduction of the Globe theater at a university in Utah! Now if I never fulfill my dream of travelling to Britain, maybe I can still see the Globe here in the US.
I give this book 4 stars. The only thing that keeps me from giving it five is that the mystery is a little complicated, with lots of twists and turns through history. I had to leaf back through the pages a couple times to pick up the thread.
With the mystery simplified a bit, this book would make a fantastic movie! And I have a few casting suggestions, if anyone is interested. 
Right after I finished this book, The Shakespeare Authorship Coalition came out with their Declaration of Reasonable Doubt About the Identity of William Shakespeare. Talk about a timely topic!
Other links of interest:
~ Ms. Carrell’s backstory on writing Interred With Their Bones.
~ An Associated Press review of Interred With Their Bones.
~ I’ve added a link in my sidebar for my Review Policy.
The title is what attracts me to this book first of all, but your review makes me want to add it to my wishlist. It sounds like a good one. Thansk for the great review!
September 26th, 2007 at 6:33 pm(best german accent)Zis eez verrry interesting.. *stroking chin* Hmmm! I had heard about the debate over Shakespeare’s identity.. I will have to look into these soon (when I am not so tired…)
Btw. I wanted to tell you: I read 13th Tale and Irish Country Doctor. !3th Tale absolutely scared me to death. Stayed up all night reading it, then got scared every time I heard a “bump in the night” LOL
Irish Country Doctor was AWESOME. Just awesome. TY!
September 26th, 2007 at 8:25 pmFeline - you’re welcome!
Lawanda - Glad you enjoyed The Irish Country Doctor. In spite of being freaked, did you like The Thirteeth Tale?
September 27th, 2007 at 12:54 pmThis sounds interesting. I love reading books that include places I’ve been. I highly recommend that you attend the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, Ut sometime. The Adams Theater (reproduction of the Globe) is a great place to watch Shakespeare on a summer’s night. The productions are first-rate. They also put on other plays and musicals each season so you get to mix your entertainment. Thanks for the review. One more for the TBR list.
September 29th, 2007 at 4:53 amThis is a very interesting sounding book. I love Shakespeare. I’ll have to put it on my Amazon wish list.
Deb
September 29th, 2007 at 5:18 am(coming over from the Sat. Review of Books)
wow…that does sound quite interesting…will add this to my wishlist, thanks for the review (found you on Semicolon’s Sat. Reviews, BTW)
September 29th, 2007 at 5:49 amFramed - I’m going to have to add Cedar City to my dream vacations list!
Deb & Mo - thanks for stopping by!
September 29th, 2007 at 9:57 am[...] 17th, 2007 at 8:45 am (Book Review) I put this book on my queue courtesy of Carrie at Mommy Brain. Interred with Their Bones is an amazing first novel from Jennifer Lee Carrell, an Ivy League [...]
October 17th, 2007 at 8:44 am[...] 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency)2. Suzanne (Great Northern Bean, L. Colwin & R. Goldstien)3. Carrie K. (Interred With Their Bones)4. Laura (Cold Mountain)5. Sheila (I Capture the Castle)6. Literary Fiction (Life Support)7. [...]
November 4th, 2007 at 7:38 am