Shakespeare's Christmas Gift to Queen Bess

"Shakespeare's Christmas Gift to Queen Bess" by Anna Benneson McMahan is a story set in the late 1500s that mixes real history with imaginative storytelling to look at William Shakespeare and his connection to Queen Elizabeth the First. The book shows Shakespeare as a celebrated playwright whose work has an important place in the world of theater. The main action happens around Christmastime in 1596 and a significant event, the final meeting of the Mermaid Club, where big thinkers of London meet. Shakespeare's play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," is chosen to be performed for the Queen. The book shows the friendships between writers, the thrill of performing for the royal court, and how Queen Elizabeth reacts to the play, highlighting how art and royalty went together during the time she ruled. Also, this book looks at Shakespeare's emotions during this time, especially his sadness after losing his son, which gives a bigger picture of how committed he was to his work and the Queen, even when bad things happened in his life.