Publication Date: February 25, 2025
From critically acclaimed author Nicole Galland comes a vibrant and thought-provoking historical tale of love, political intrigue, and gender-swapping set in the theatre world of Elizabethan London.
Alexander “Sander” Cooke is the most celebrated “boy player” in the Chamberlain’s Men, William Shakespeare’s theatre company. Indeed, Sander’s androgynous beauty and deft portrayal of female roles have made him the toast of London, and his companionship is sought by noblewomen and -men alike. And yet, now at the height of his fame, he teeters on the cusp of adulthood, his future uncertain. Often, he wishes he could stop time and remain a boy forever.
Joan Buckler, Sander’s best friend, also has a dream. Though unschooled, she is whip-smart and fascinated by the snippets of natural philosophy to which she’s been exposed. And while she senses that Sander’s admiration for her is more than mere friendship, Joan’s true passion is knowledge, something that is nearly impossible for her to attain. As a woman, she has no place in the intellectual salons and cultural community of the day; only in disguise can she learn to her heart’s content.
Joan’s covert intellectual endeavors, coupled with Sander’s theatrical triumphs, attract the attention of none other than Francis Bacon: natural philosopher and trusted adviser to Queen Elizabeth. It is through their connection with Bacon—one of the greatest minds of their time—that their lives will be changed forever as they become embroiled in an intricate game of political intrigue that threatens their very survival.
Brimming with heart, curiosity, and rich historical detail, Boy offers an intimate glimpse of the moral complexities of a singular artistic era, and the roles we all choose to play on the world’s stage.
Elizabethan London provides an intriguing backdrop for a young woman fascinated by knowledge.
Joan Buckler wants nothing more than to sate her curiosity, whether it’s a medical question, a botany query, or a discussion about inductive reasoning vs. established knowledge. However, there is one significant barrier preventing her from accessing the answers.
Author Nicole Galland serves up a tale featuring gender swapping and political intrigue in Boy. With a focus on the theatre world, in which Joan’s best friend, Sander, is one of the most popular names, the story illustrates the irony of boys acting in female roles. Sander is about to “age out,” which has him disturbed.
Yet it’s Sander’s connection to Francis Bacon that opens the door for a disguised Joan. Soon, Sander and Joan are caught up in a web of political intrigue that threatens to destroy them, along with an unexpected romance.
With historical figures showing up in cameo roles, the storyline accurately depicts the time period. While there was nothing glaringly wrong with the author’s writing style, I had trouble being fully engaged with the characters and their adventures.
Boy takes readers on a journey back in time and introduces two characters who rely on gender swapping to remove barriers.
Nicole Galland is the author of the historical novels I, Iago; Godiva; Crossed; Revenge of the Rose; and The Fool’s Tale; as well as the contemporary romantic comedies On the Same Page and Stepdog, and the New York Times bestselling near-future thriller The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (with Neal Stephenson).
