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?
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?
The book flashes back and forth from Julie Jacobs' present in Siena--trying to unlock the mysteries she has only just discovered existed--to a reimagining of the romance that inspired Shakespeare's great love story. I have to admit that I was never the biggest Romeo and Juliet fan (although I did thoroughly enjoy Baz Luhrmann's movie). I mean, for one I always thought Romeo was a little fickle and I don't think you can proclaim to share any kind of great love for someone unless you've known them for at least thirty days and have tried to share a bathroom with them in the morning. That said, I think that Fortier's Romeo and Juliet Siena-style, while similar to the play, is actually a better version of the events. Or maybe just a bit more believable.
"There is lust, you know, and then there is love. They are related, but still very different things. To indulge in one requires little but honeyed speech and a change of clothes; to obtain the other, by contrast, a man must give up his rib. In return, his woman will undo the sin of Eve, and bring him back into paradise." [p 85]
As for Julie, it was hard for me to get a grip on her character at first, mostly because I don't think she knew who she was. As the novel begins it's glaringly obvious that Julie has spent most of her life trying to be as different from her twin sister as humanly possible--losing herself in the process. While her sister Janice is a man-eating glamazon, Julie says of herself: "By the time we left for college, I had become my own image. A dandelion in the flower of society. Kinda cute, but still a weed." [p 35] But being in Siena with a purpose and a famous ancestor helps Julie to blossom and I was soon thoroughly engrossed in her progress.
"What I saw in his eyes was as strange to me as a foreign coast after endless nights on the ocean; behind the jungle foliage I could sense the presence of an unknown beast, some primordial creature waiting for me to come ashore. What he saw in mine I don't know, but whatever it was, it made his hand drop.
'Why are you afraid of me?' he whispered. 'Fammi capire. Make me understand.'" [p 264]
I admired the way that Fortier was able to bring a glorious, historical city like Siena to life on the page and how she bridged the 600 years between one Juliet and another. I was also completely invested in the parallel romantic stories going on in the book--Julie's Romeo is just my kind of guy (dark, handsome, capable and a little bit bad). Things did get a bit improbable towards the end, but I had enjoyed the rest of this beautifully written book enough that I hardly noticed. Plus, I was happy that Fortier was able to put some twists into the story. I would definitely recommend this one.
"He said, 'In my opinion, your story--and Romeo and Juliet as well--is not about love. It is about politics, and the message is simple: when the old men fight, the young people die.'"
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