Poor Anne Hathaway is still living with her callous stepmother, and her prospects for marriage and a home of her own are becoming grim. However, she can't seem to get charismatic Will Shakespeare out of her mind—even though he is much too young for her. But then one day Will impulsively kisses his childhood friend Anne, changing the course of their lives forever. Here is the story of the childhoods of and tumultuous romance between the boy who became the world's most famous playwright and the spirited farmer's daughter who became his wife. Carolyn Meyer has delivered a riveting historical tale about love, family, the pursuit of one's dreams—and the price one pays for each.