Juliet by Anne Fortier is a debut novel that blends the contemporary story of Julie Jacobs with the ancient legend of Romeo and Juliet. Fortier, who grew up in Denmark, said that her mother was in love with Verona, Italy, and lived in Italy for a time. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was part of the stories from her childhood. Later, when Fortier and her mother went to Siena – they fell in love with the city and were surprised to hear that the first written version of Romeo and Giulietta was actually penned in 1340 as taking place in Siena.
This gave Fortier a glimmer of an idea. What if there were twins whose parents died mysteriously in Italy. The small girls are taken to the U.S. and raised by Aunt Rose. When she dies – Janice gets the house and Julie gets a key and is told to go back to Siena, Italy and find her roots.
Once Julie finds letters and stories from 1340 in her mother’s things in Italy, the book travels between 1340 and present day. We soon find that there is a bigger mystery than the way Julie’s parents died. It has to do with the ancient manuscript and story of the star-crossed lovers, a treasure and a centuries old family feud. Julie also finds out that she is a descendant of Giulietta Tolomei and wonders if the contemporary Romeo is going to be her undoing.
Readers will be captured by the first few pages of the book and find that the danger for them is staying up until dawn to find out what happens. Fortier did an excellent job of creating interesting characters and is able to drop readers into the middle of medieval Siena life. Her website helps readers by giving them an interactive map of Sienna, reader’s questions and a great book trailer video that sets the mood. http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/anne_fortier/index.php
Five year old Jack has lived his entire life in an eleven foot square room. His mother was a nineteen year old college student when she was kidnapped by a man who has held her captive for seven years. His mother has conceived a dangerous plan for escape; will Jack be able to pull it off, and what will his world be like if he does? Told entirely in Jack’s bright but socially naïve voice, Room delivers charm, humor, breathtaking suspense and, most of all, a mother’s love for her child. It’s a book you will never forget.
