August 2010 Debut of the Month.

A charming, romantic and thrilling debut. Julie discovers that she is a descendant of the woman who inspired Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. A beautiful novel taking you back through time, through the stunning scenery of Italy and to the centre of a family feud that has continued for centuries. Wonderful.

Synopsis

A stunning debut novel that follows a young woman who discovers that her family's origins reach all the way back to literature's greatest star-crossed lovers. 'Of all the great love stories ever told, hers is perhaps the most famous. To me, she is the key to my family's fate. To you, she is Juliet.'

When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety deposit box in Siena, she is told it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a precarious journey into the true history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo inspired Shakespeare's unforgettable story.

As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families who turned medieval Siena upside down, she begins to realize that the notorious curse -- 'a plague on both your houses!' -- is still at work. It seems that the only one who can save her from her fate is Romeo - but where is he?

Spanning centuries, Juliet is an unforgettable adventure that hopes to rewrite the fate of the star-crossed lovers, and reunite them at last.

Reviews

Praise for Juliet: 'A truly fabulous book. We will never see Romeo and Juliet in quite the same way again.
Alison Weir

'Ingenious, intriguing, a thrilling story that keeps you turning the pages. This is a wonderfully textured novel of history and imagination that brings Italy, past and present, beautifully to life.'
Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth and Sepulchre

'Juliet is a thrilling debut novel, completely saturated in fascinating history.'
Katherine Neville, author of The Fire

'Juliet has it all-history, mystery, and romance. Ms. Fortier handles the dual plot lines with mastery, beautifully rendering Siena of the past and present.'Karen Essex, author of Leonardo's Swans and Stealing Athena 'Boldly imagined, brilliantly plotted, beautifully described, Juliet will carry you spellbound until the gripping end. An astonishing achievement.'
Susan Vreeland, author of Girl in Hyacinth Blue and Luncheon of the Boating Party

About the Author

Anne Fortier grew up in Europe, in Denmark mainly, and studied for her PhD there, including spending a year at Oxford, where she met her husband. After university she moved to the US, where she worked in film and television before writing Juliet, inspired by the very first Romeo and Juliet story, which was set in Siena. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation