Juliet

Juliet
By Anne Fortier
Ballantine Books, 2010. 447 pgs. Fiction

Moving back and forth between historical events and modern day, this book is less about Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet and more about the amazing history of Siena, Italy.

Julie Jacobs and her twin sister, Janice, were born in Siena, but after tragically losing both parents, they are swept up and taken to the United States by their Great Aunt Rose where they are sternly discouraged from ever returning to their homeland. After Rose’s death Janice receives the entire inheritance and Julie gets only a mysterious letter from her aunt explaining that her mother left a “treasure” for her in Italy, but to claim it she must travel to Italy under her real name, Guilietta Tolomei.

Once in Siena, Julie soon discovers that what she first took as a worthless pile of papers left by her mother may actually prove that Romeo and Juliet (Romeo Marescotti and Guilietta Tolomei) were real people living in 1340 Siena rather than Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s play. These papers also prove that Julie is a descendant of the first Guilietta Tolomei. After chasing down some clues, Julie learns that there may indeed be a real treasure, and that there are people willing to kill for that treasure.

This is an exciting and suspenseful ride through Siena’s dark past similar to Da Vinci Code. There are a few flaws in the book. For example, some of the characters are a little over-the-top and the historical information was a little dry in my opinion, but I enjoyed the story enough I was definitely willing to over look any minor problems.

AJ