Kissing Shakespeare
Kissing Shakespeare is a debut novel of a former American teacher and librarian-turned-writer Pamela Mingle. It was published as a young adult literature book on August 14, 2012, by Delacorte Books. There are no records of William Shakespeare's life between his birth in 1564 to his arrival in London in 1590, although he was speculated to be a schoolteacher before becoming a playwright. Mingle's novel sets during what historians referred as Shakespeare's "lost years," using clues from the 1580s, to create a romantic fantasy centering on a love triangle composed of a contemporary teenage girl from the 21st century, a time traveler from the past, and William Shakespeare. Mingle remains true to the history and events of the era, revealing the challenges of living in a time of religious persecution and suppression of women. Premise American teenager Miranda Graham believes that she has Shakespeare in her genes: she hopes one day to follow her parents’ footsteps as a Shakespearean actress. After her disastrous performance in her school's staging of The Taming of the Shrew, her fellow cast member, Stephen Langford, steps out of the backstage and asks if she'd like to meet William Shakespeare in person. Miranda thinks he's insane.