Heightening the intrigue are several mysterious men pursuing Juliet, including one who chases her through the cobblestoned streets of night-time Siena on his black motorcycle. Everyone is a suspect, including members of her own family. Of course, every good story has to have a villain, and there is no shortage of candidates in "Alessandro turned to look at me with eyes the colour of dried rosemary, eyes that would have made Janice rhumba through the house in her underwear, crooning into a hairbrush microphone." Though he is suspicious of Juliet and her reasons for being in the sleepy town of Siena, this doesn't stop the American virgin from noticing how attractive he is. In the present, Juliet meets up with various characters, some friends, some foes, and some a combination, including a policeman, Alessandro. Historical fiction can often be tedious and plodding, but Fortier's skill at spinning a spellbinding yarn is evident in chapters that alternate between the present and the past of 1340. These characters are actual historical figures, and for the novel, Fortier did extensive research into the story that inspired Shakespeare's play.
When Juliet gets to Siena, she finds a box that holds various papers, including one containing the story of the star-crossed lovers, Giulietta Tolomei and Romeo Marescotti. Romeo and Juliet is further incentive for her adventure, and mysteriously seems to support the ancestral claim. The fact that Juliet can recite the entire text of She's always wanted to know more about her family history, something that Aunt Rose steadfastly refused to divulge. Apparently, her mother believed that Juliet was descended from Juliet of Shakespearean fame, and there is something in Siena, Italy, that will reveal all, and possibly treasure.ĭespite feeling she's got the short end of the stick, Juliet leaves without telling her twin what she's up to. The only thing Juliet gets is a secret letter that tells her to go to Italy and find the treasure her mother left for her there. When Aunt Rose dies, years later, she leaves everything to Janice.
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