Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid Summary
Overview of Lady Macbeth
Ava Reid's gothic reimagining of Shakespeare's villainess slices through patriarchal history, becoming a NYT bestseller that Alix E. Harrow couldn't "look away" from. What dark power made this witchcraft-infused tale Cosmopolitan's "deadly power game" of the year?
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The Curse of Beauty and the Burden of Power
In eleventh-century Scotland, where ancient beliefs clash with emerging Christianity, a woman with unnaturally white hair and skin pale as moonlight arrives to marry the Thane of Glammis. This is Roscille, marked since birth as "death-touched" and "witch-kissed," traveling with an entourage of women because men cannot bear her unveiled gaze. Her father, Duke Wrybeard, has carefully crafted the fiction that she was cursed by a witch as an infant-better to be witch-cursed than a witch herself. As her convoy crosses dangerous territories, her identity shifts with each border: Lady Roscille in Breizh, Lady Rosele in Bretaigne, Lady Rosa to Norman lords. When she arrives at Glammis Castle, tragedy strikes immediately-her trusted handmaiden Hawise is found murdered in the gardens, her throat slit. This brutal welcome sets the tone for life in this harsh northern land. Roscille quickly learns that survival requires transformation. Having been raised to "abandon questions and instead find truth in whispers and glances," she applies these skills with increasing sophistication. What's striking about Roscille's situation is how her identity has been shaped by others' perceptions. Her father's political machinations turned her unusual appearance into a calculated advantage. Societal fear of female power transformed her natural attributes into supernatural threats. Yet within these constraints, we see the first glimmers of her determination to define herself on her own terms.
A Marriage Forged in Ambition, Not Love
Blood on Her Hands: The Making of a Queen
The Dragon Prince's Forbidden Love
Three Witches and Their Prophecies
Women's Choices in a Man's World
Unveiling Power: From Dagger to Queen
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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