JANUARY 2022 - AudioFile
The king is dead—but what of the queen? Narrator Juliet Stevenson performs this dramatization of an imagined Shakespeare character with the aplomb of the stage actor she is. As this debut novel plumbs the aftermath of King Lear’s death, Stevenson’s voice affects grief, outrage, and fear of Lear’s imagined middle-aged widow. But how does she express these emotions and still live past the tragic events of the play? Best portrayed by Stevenson are the rage and sorrow of her husband’s foolish act to divide the kingdom between her daughters. It’s rare that a narrator and a narrative are so perfectly matched. Fans of the play will delight in this exploration of issues that still resonate some 400-plus years later. R.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Booklist (starred)
Thorp's poetic prose contrasts with the steely character of a queen at once sympathetic and fearsome. This literary novel offers an intriguing new take on an old story—the play itself and the power dynamics between men and women, mothers and daughters.
The Washington Post - Jane Smiley
Intriguing, illuminating. Thorp places her bet on psychological complexity that evolves into more psychological complexity as the story unfolds. I believe it is worth it.
Top 10 Debut Novelists of 2021 The Observer
"Learwife is a novel that joins the likes of Pat Barker, Natalie Haynes and Margaret Atwood in seeking to unearth hidden female stories left unexplored by literary history. Its tale of pestilence and seclusion also has a powerful contemporary relevance. Written in luminous, lyrical prose, it’s a book that defies easy description, being neither historical novel nor fantasy, but mining the best bits from each genre."
The New York Times Book Review - Angela Lashbrook
In luscious prose, Thorp explores the nameless queen’s untold story, one that — in keeping with the spirit of Shakespeare’s original — is rife with cruelty, betrayal and passion. Learwife is gorgeously written, its language ornate and heady. The novel’s crest and denouement are artful and moving... a beautiful triumph.
The Observer
"Learwife is a novel that joins the likes of Pat Barker, Natalie Haynes and Margaret Atwood in seeking to unearth hidden female stories left unexplored by literary history. Its tale of pestilence and seclusion also has a powerful contemporary relevance. Written in luminous, lyrical prose, it’s a book that defies easy description, being neither historical novel nor fantasy, but mining the best bits from each genre."
JANUARY 2022 - AudioFile
The king is dead—but what of the queen? Narrator Juliet Stevenson performs this dramatization of an imagined Shakespeare character with the aplomb of the stage actor she is. As this debut novel plumbs the aftermath of King Lear’s death, Stevenson’s voice affects grief, outrage, and fear of Lear’s imagined middle-aged widow. But how does she express these emotions and still live past the tragic events of the play? Best portrayed by Stevenson are the rage and sorrow of her husband’s foolish act to divide the kingdom between her daughters. It’s rare that a narrator and a narrative are so perfectly matched. Fans of the play will delight in this exploration of issues that still resonate some 400-plus years later. R.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
