New York playwright Melina Green has never seen her work on stage. In a man’s world, only through a lie can she get the recognition she yearns for. But Melina is not the first woman in her family to discover this.

Her ancestor Emilia Bassano, mistress to one of Elizabeth I’s most valued noblemen, was no stranger to being silenced. She decided to do something about it. Her daring act of deception has consequences that will reverberate down the centuries.

Yet to change a world can mean terrible sacrifices – your name, your family’s future, and your legacy. These two women will never meet. But together can they rewrite history? 'Stunning.

So interesting, clever, educational and moving. One of the best books I've read in recent times' GILLIAN McALLISTER 'Had me absolutely captivated . .

. I loved all the questions this novel raised about who gets to tell which stories and how complex that can become. Jodi Picoult is a genius' JENNIFER SAINT'[An] inspiring work of feminist literature' ELLEPRAISE FOR JODI PICOULT'A writer the world needs to be reading right now' Independent'It is hard to exaggerate how well Picoult writes' Financial Times'She is the master of her craft' Daily Telegraph'There are writers who try and do what Picoult does, and then there's Picoult' Marie Claire