Lady Macbeth's Daughter

My first Klein book was Two Girls of Gettysburg. The end was breathtaking. Lady MacBeth's Daughter? An absolute masterpiece. I think Shakespeare would be happy to know that Macbeth is being enjoyed by teens once again. Filled with emotion and a exciting dramatic climax, Klein has done it again with this historical and mythical tale of Scotland's murderous king. Aliba, our heroine, is faced with a series of difficult choices; with every decision, the plot takes a another nail-biting turn. I love historical fiction because you always get a little something out of it, if not a lot. You get to wander through a past time period and enjoy an adventure. I usually like historical fiction--even if it is a bit slow at times--but that's just me. For those who like to be kept on the edge of your seat, well good news! Albia doesn't wait for adventure to happen, she finds it! Even hesitant readers might want to take a look at this book! Overall I think Lady Macbeth's Daughter is a thrilling novel dripping with romance and adventure and a surprising twist. I have not yet read Shakespeare's Macbeth, but this book is sure to help me through it or better yet, help bring it to life. |Age Group: YA, ages 14+|Content: Sensuality; not recommend for anyone under 13 (PG-13)| |Recommend? Yes, to teen ages 14+

Klein's name may be familiar to those of you who have read Ophelia or Two Girls of Gettysburg, which were both lovely books. In her latest offering, Klein takes us back to Shakespeare with a twist on the tale of Macbeth. In the endnotes Klein mentions that there is a section in the play where Lady Macbeth states: "I have given suck, and know / How tender `tis to love the babe that milks me..." (1.7.54-55). Lady Macbeth has obviously had at least one child, but there is no mention of that child in the play. And here is where Klein takes the tale down a slightly different path than the one Shakespeare did: in this version Lady Macbeth has a son from her first marriage, and a daughter from her marriage to Macbeth. Macbeth orders the female killed when he finds out she has a lame foot. Lady Macbeth doesn't ever really recover from this loss, and that is where her lofty desperation comes from. The tale is told from two different viewpoints: Lady Macbeth, and her daughter, Albia. I love that the book is told from the differing perspectives because I felt like I got so much more out of the story because of it. Albia and Lady Macbeth (Grelach) both are extremely realistic: you can't help but like Albia and feel for her confusion, and you understand Grelach while simultaneously loathe her. It's utter brilliance! Even if you're not a fan of the bard, this tale is ripe with drama that will keep you turning the pages, wondering how it will all turn out. For those of you who know your Macbeth, I can tell you that Klein has a few surprises for you! Notes on the Cover: Other than her hair being too dark for my imagination, I think that Albia is lovely. I especially like that it appears she has on some armor. A girl with spirit! (You know how I love those!)

Lady Macbeth's Daughter is a terrific read. I love how the author winks at readers who have read Macbeth and other Shakespeare -- there are the trees, the "witches," the "ghosts," the blood that keeps coming, the spot that won't go away. And we discover some great back-story to that fascinating woman, Lady Macbeth. At last, she is sympathetic! But you don't have to read Macbeth to read Lady Macbeth's Daughter. This is just a really good book.

Macbeth was never my favorite play by Shakespeare, but, after reading Lady Macbeth's Daughter, I have a newfound respect for the story. I really think that Albia made the story for me - Lisa Klein wrote Albia so perfectly that I can't believe Shakespeare left her out! Albia was an amazing addition to Macbeth's original cast. Not only was is a resilient and strong female lead, she shows the perfect blend of characteristics one would expect her to have inherited through her birth parents and her adoptive family. I am astounded by how believable Albia's character is! It was interesting to see how Albia came to terms with learning that her birth father is the bloodthirsty and tyrannical Macbeth - a man that she has never personally met, nor has an desire to. Lady Macbeth was must easier to understand and feel sympathy for in this version of the story. I like the idea that Lady Macbeth's insane behavior was motivated in part by her grief over the death of her infant daughter (Albia), rather than (only) greed and the need for power. The romance between Albia and Fleance wasn't really a main part of the plot, but it was engaging and well-written. Most Shakespearean romances are doomed, but Klein's story had a twist and was surprisingly simple and without drama. It had some drama and complexity of course, but the love story didn't build you up and then rip out your heart - which is a good thing!

In this novel, set in 11th century Scotland, author Lisa Klein starts with the premise that Macbeth and his wife had a baby daughter, born with a deformed leg. Macbeth, in his anger that she was not the healthy son he longed for, left the infant to die. Lady Macbeth, not much more than a girl herself in a time when women had no power, was helpless to stop him, and grieves the death of her daughter as well as the subsequent pregnancies she loses, believing herself cursed. These losses shape her character and set the stage for the tragic events she later participates in. What neither of them know, however, is that their baby daughter did not die. She was saved by Lady Macbeth's serving woman, Rhuven, who took her to live with her sisters in the Wychelm Wood. The sisters name the child Albia, and the little girl grows up believing one of the sisters to be her mother. The years pass by peacefully, until the year Albia turns fifteen and great turmoil comes to Scotland. King Duncan is murdered, and Albia is sent to live with a foster family - Banquo, his wife Breda, and their son Fleance. And there is turmoil inside Albia as well - she is confused by her feelings for the attractive but maddening Fleance, and she longs to know the identity of her father. When she learns the truth about her heritage - and that her birth parents murdered the king in order to seize the throne - she struggles with her feelings of revulsion at what her parents have done and determines that she must destroy them and bring peace and justice to Scotland. Lady Macbeth's Daughter is a rather interesting and complex novel. It is mainly told from the point of view of Albia, although we also see some events from the point of view of Lady Macbeth. Her perspective, and the difficult life she lived, made her actions, wrong though they were, seem more understandable. Overall the story and the ending especially were rather thought-provoking, making me think a lot about the motivations of various characters, and wondering what happened afterwards. I would recommend this book to readers, young adult and older, who enjoy either historical fiction or unique retellings of Shakespeare's plays.