Hamnet is the name of Shakespeare's son, the one who inspired Hamlet.
It tells the story of a family, of the son, Hamnet, and his twin sister, and one fateful moment. It tells the story of their mother, and of her mother. It tells the story of our they met. It tells the many stories around them -
each an individual, each the main character, each a tiny part of a complex whole.
Each strand of their life is told in such a way that you want to stay, stay, stay with themn and know more.
Maggie O'Farrell took the few facts we have of Shakespeare's life, and assembles them into something so truthfull, you'll want to believe every word.