The Dark Lady's Mask in an engaging historical novel. It is about the poet Aemila Bassano Lanier and the many masks she had to wear throughout her life to survive as a woman and a poet in a time that was not kind to women. The novel is rich in historical detail and …more introduced me to many figures from that time. Mary Sharratt impressed me with her research. I would recommend this book to anyone who is fond of The Renaissance period, Shakespeare, and strong female characters. (less)