About The Book:
Juliet, an ambitious, utterly engaging historical novel on the scale of The Thirteenth Tale and The Birth of Venus, follows a young woman who discovers that her family’s origins reach all the way back to literature’s greatest star-crossed lovers.
When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a winding and perilous journey into the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo rocked the foundations of medieval Siena.
As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in Shakespeare’s unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is the next target. It seems that the only one who can save Julie from her fate is Romeo—but where is he?
My Review:
What young girl has ever made it through high school without being mesmerized by the character of Shakespeare's "Juliet" from "Romeo and Juliet"? The young, impetous girl who will go to any lengths to be with the boy she loves - it's the stuff legends are made of!
In her book, "Juliet," Anne Fortier puts a whole new spin on the "Juliet" story by introducing the feisty character of Julie Jacobs, the girl who may just have the original "Giulietta's" blood running through her veins. Julie travels to Siena, Italy to retrieve some mysterious documents of her late mother's left to her by her Aunt Rose, and she soon finds herself embroiled in a centuries old case of suspense and intrigue. Between dodging the police (she has a questionable past relationship with the Italian police!) and avoiding the rival family who seems intent on seeing her silenced, Julie finds that her past and the past of the famed Juliet are destined to be intertwined. But will she be able to bring peace to all involved before the famed "curse" catches up with her?
Taking her story back to the 1300s and forward the present, and sprinkling historical facts among the fiction, Anne Fortier creates a dazzling tale that will keep the readers enthralled to the very last sentence! "Juliet" has all the key ingredients for a masterpiece novel - romance, intrigue, humor, and all set against the beautiful backdrop of amorous Italy. I have no problem at all seeing "Juliet" as one of the leading novels of the year!
Shakespeare would be proud!
About The Author:
Anne Fortier grew up in Denmark and emigrated to the United States in 2002 to work in film. She co-produced the Emmy-winning documentary Fire and Ice: The Winter War of Finland and Russia and holds a Ph.D. in the History of Ideas from Aarhus University in Denmark. The story of Juliet was inspired by Anne Fortier’s mother, who always considered Verona her true home … until she discovered Siena.You can visit Anne Fortier’s website at http://www.julietbook.com/.
Check out this incredibly beautiful book trailer for "Juliet"!
My thanks to Dorothy Thompson at Pump Up Your Book Promotions for including me on the "Juliet" tour! I received a copy of the book from the publisher, and was not compensated for my opinions.
