On Tuesday, August 16, at 6 pm, the Vineyard Haven Library will host an evening with critically acclaimed author Nicole Galland at the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven. Galland will talk about her latest historical novel, “Boy,” set in Elizabethan England.
Nicole Galland is a proud graduate of the West Tisbury School and MVRHS. She’s the author of seven historical novels, several of them Shakespeare-themed, and co-author of the N.Y. Times bestseller “The Rise and Fall of DODO.” Her contemporary work includes “On the Same Page,” about two newspapers on Martha’s Vineyard. She has recently become an editor at one of these papers (ours) in real life. With Chelsea McCarthy, she co-created the popular off-season “Shakespeare for the Masses” series, and also directs plays off-Island.
Sander Cooke is the most celebrated “boy player” in William Shakespeare’s theater company. Indeed, Sander’s androgynous beauty and deft portrayal of female roles have made him the toast of London, and his companionship is sought by noblewomen and -men alike. But now at the height of his fame, he teeters on the cusp of adulthood, his future uncertain. Often, he wishes he could stop time and remain a boy forever.
Joan Buckler, Sander’s best friend, also has a wish. Though unschooled, she is whip-smart and fascinated by the snippets of natural philosophy to which she’s been exposed. As a woman, she has no place in the intellectual salons and cultural community of the day; only disguised as a boy can she learn to her heart’s content.
Joan’s covert intellectual endeavors attract the attention of Francis Bacon, natural philosopher and trusted adviser to Queen Elizabeth. It is through their connection with Bacon — one of the greatest minds of their time — that they will be changed forever as they become embroiled in an intricate game of political intrigue that threatens their lives.
Tuesday, August 16, at 6 pm. Katharine Cornell Theatre, 51 Spring St., Vineyard Haven. vhlibrary.org.