Folger Book Club
‘Queen Hereafter’ by Isabelle Schuler
Our March selection imagines a young Lady Macbeth growing up in and navigating the political perils of medieval Scotland.
Booking and details
Coming SoonDates Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 6:30pm
Venue Virtual - on Zoom
Tickets Free, Registration required
Duration 6:30pm - 8:00pm (ET)
Booking opens to the general public on Tuesday, February 10 at 4pm, with early access for members beginning at 10am.
Our pick for the March book club is Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler.
Please note that in the UK this book is titled Lady MacBethad.
About the book
An instant international bestseller: a suspenseful, sweeping historical epic for readers of Natalie Haynes and Madeline Miller, which boldly reimagines the origin story of the woman who inspired one of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters, Lady Macbeth.
She will be Queen. Whatever it takes . . .
Daughter of an ousted king, descendant of ancient druids, Gruoch (GREW-ock), has grown up believing that she will be crowned queen of Alba and reclaim the lands of her Pictish kin, a prophecy seemingly fulfilled by her betrothal to Duncan, the heir-elect.
Determined never to be powerless again, she leaves behind her home, her family, and her close friend MacBethad, and travels to the royal seat at Scone to embrace her new position. But Duncan’s court is rife with sly words and unfriendly faces, women desperate to usurp her position, and others whose motives are shrouded in mystery.
As her coronation approaches, a deadly turn of events forces Gruoch to flee Duncan and the capital. Alone and at the mercy of an old enemy, her hope of becoming Queen all but lost, Gruoch must make a fateful choice: live a long, quiet life in the shadows, or seize vengeance and a path back to the throne.
A stunning literary reclamation of an iconic character, Queen Hereafter is a gripping story of female ambition, power, history, desire, hate, and vengeance set against the backdrop of early medieval Scotland.
Why did we choose this?
The Folger Shakespeare Library’s collection explores not only Shakespeare’s life and works, but also the plays’ historical context, source material, critical and performance histories, and the ways in which they inspire and are adapted by contemporary novelists.
In honor of Women’s History Month, we take a look at one of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters: Lady Macbeth. Imagining her time as young women growing up in and navigating the political perils of medieval Scotland, Schuler’s novel explores her origins
About the Book Club
Our informal Book Club is free and open to all. Our picks range from historical fiction to adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays, encompassing a wide variety of genres.
Each session begins with a guest speaker exploring that month’s pick and highlighting items from the Folger collection related to the novel. After the short presentation, participants will be broken into smaller groups for breakout discussions, moderated by a team of staff and volunteers.
Content transparency
Queen Hereafter includes potentially sensitive subjects. Expand below for a full list of content (includes spoilers).
- Murder
- Death
- Violence
- Homophobia
- Suicide
- Sexual content
- Self harm
- Fire/Fire injury
- Bullying
Guest speaker
Beth DeBold
Beth DeBold is a postgraduate researcher in early modern British social history and culture at Newcastle University in the UK. After a ten-year career in libraries, she now focuses on the human labour of the book and print trades during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Her doctoral project examines the lives and social networks of the apprentices who came to London to learn how to make their living at the press or in the bookshop. She is owned by two cats, John Quincy and Abigail.
Buy the book
Support the Folger Shop with your book purchase.
Fall Folger Book Club selections are now available online and in-person through the Folger Shop!
Click below to purchase your copy of Queen Hereafter online or come visit us at 201 East Capitol St SE during our opening hours.
You can also choose to support your favorite local bookstore through Bookshop.org or Libro.fm.
We would like to thank the following organization for its generous support of this program
