All Our Yesterdays: A Novel of Lady Macbeth

Morris’s debut is a prequel to Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Before she ever becomes “Lady Macbeth,” the novel’s 15-year-old protagonist is married off to the Mormaer of Moray, a brutal and abusive husband. Satisfying his demand for an heir, she produces a son and devotes herself to raising the child. One day, the Mormaer rides out with his men and never returns. Instead, Lord Macbeth, who has killed the Mormaer, arrives to reclaim the land the Mormaer had taken from Macbeth’s father. He is kind to the Lady, giving her respect she has not previously known. They fall in love and marry. Plagued by witchcraft and ghosts, Lady Macbeth has tried to outrun a witch’s prophecy about her son. When Macbeth legally adopts the boy, she thinks she has succeeded, but fate has other plans. Morris debuts with a vivid picture of the brutality and harsh living conditions of the time and a Lady Macbeth who is introspective and politically savvy. Angus King and Ell Potter expertly narrate the story, alternating viewpoints among Lady Macbeth, Lord Macbeth, and the boy. Thick Scots accents require close attention but make for an atmospheric listen.