The life and works of Shakespeare have long been the subject of much conjecture, and his marriage to Anne Hathaway has been minutely scrutinised. In Shakespeare’s Mistress Karen Harper pursues the theory that, prior to his marriage to Anne, he was in fact already ‘bonded’ to another, Anne Whateley, whose passionate but difficult relationship with Will is the main thread of the story. Told through her voice, and with its references to Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays, this is a highly readable book for anyone who enjoys Tudor history.