Lady of the Play

Lady of the Play is written in parallel historical and contemporary stories, with focus on the life of Elizabeth Trentham, the other Shakespeare. The contemporary story begins with the finding of an original page from A Midsummer Night’s Dream hidden in the cover of an ancient Book of Common Prayer owned by an elderly woman, Sudie McFadden. She contacts a history teacher, Cynthia Parsons, to help her prove her ancestor, the original owner of the prayer book, was the true playwright. Cynthia, with the help of a librarian friend, and an attorney, conduct extensive research to prove Elizabeth Trentham was the true playwright and poet. There is a smooth transition from the modern chapters to the historical.

Was Elizabeth (Ely) Trentham only just the second wife of Edward deVere, the 17th Earl of Oxford? Or, should she be properly recognized as the authentic Shakespeare?

The story of the genius of Ely is revealed, from her childhood to the ten years as a maid of honor to Queen Elizabeth I, her marriage to deVere and their collaboration, and why they needed to hire Wm Shaksper as their front. After Edward’s death in 1604, Ely continues to write plays until her death in 1612, the same year “Shakespeare” retires. Unbeknownst to anyone, Ely leaves clues behind waiting to be discovered even though it will take four-hundred years to do so.
Interwoven into the story of Ely is the modern story of Cynthia Parsons, a history teacher who is convinced Ely and Edward collaborated. Cynthia’s life includes friendships and romance, but researching the truth about Ely remains her primary focus. She receives help from a librarian friend and an attorney and together they search for evidence to prove who actually deserves the title “Shakespeare.” When Cynthia finds the clues left behind by Ely, there are those who will use any means to keep Cynthia from revealing her discoveries.

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