Juliet

By: Anne Fortier

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Twenty-five-year-old Julie Jacobs is heartbroken over the death of her beloved Aunt Rose. But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie’s twin sister. The only thing Julie receives is a key—one carried by her mother on the day she herself died—to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy.

This key sends Julie on a journey that will change her life forever—a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei.

In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo. Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went on to inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching its pinnacle in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.

But six centuries have a way of catching up to the present, and Julie gradually begins to discover that here, in this ancient city, the past and present are hard to tell apart. The deeper she delves into the history of Romeo and Giulietta, and the closer she gets to the treasure they allegedly left behind, the greater the danger surrounding her—superstitions, ancient hostilities, and personal vendettas. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in the unforgettable blood feud, she begins to fear that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is destined to be its next target. Only someone like Romeo, it seems, could save her from this dreaded fate, but his story ended long ago. Or did it?

From Anne Fortier comes a sweeping, beautifully written novel of intrigue and identity, of love and legacy, as a young woman discovers that her own fate is irrevocably tied—for better or worse—to literature’s greatest star-crossed lovers.

©2010 Anne Fortier (P)2010 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"To understand what happened centuries ago, in the previous generation, and all around her, Julie relies on relics: a painting, a journal, a dagger, a ring. Readers enjoy the additional benefit of antique texts alternating with contemporary narratives, written in the language of modern romance and enlivened by brisk storytelling. Fortier navigates around false clues and twists, resulting in a dense, heavily plotted love story that reads like a Da Vinci Code for the smart modern woman." ( Publishers weekly)

“One of those rare novels that have it all. . . I was swept away.” (Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants)

I loved it! I have !read it and then I listened!

Great story, very creative and interesting twists, and turns. Worth it to read or listen to it. I loved hearing the narrator speak the Italian words and accents all very well done.

The author does a wonderful job of descriptions of places and people. Be ready for a surprise time change.

This is such a great book, I've given it as a gift to several girlfriends (all different ages) and they all love it!

Brilliantly and fantastically, written, delightful and tender adventure!

I can only speak positive words about this audiobook, what a fantastically, brilliant and fun adventure that takes you on a ride that will warm your heart, open your soul, and make you want to go to Italy more than ever. Absolutely love this audiobook.

Amazing story line!!

There is not one thing bad I can say about this book! The plot was amazing, the progression of the story was spot on, the narration was fantastic! This author has a unique way of telling the story that literally brings it to life in your mind, as the narrator is reading it to you. I’ve liked a lot of books in my time but this book is seriously in the top two I recommend it 100%.

got pulled into the plot

enjoyed listening to this book, really got pulled into the plot. Liked how the author switched between the current day romeo and juliet and original Romeo and Juliet. Good story

'Valley Girls' Meet Shakespeare

If you can get past the terrifically annoying 'valley girl speak' (particularly from one of the primary characters), this is a very enjoyable book. The story is intriguing, well developed and written and quite engaging. By the time I got to Part 2, I was getting really tired of
"P-L-E-E-E-Z-E" coming out of the mouth of the two sisters who are the main players but I hung in there because I was hooked on the storyline. In fact, I plan to read Fortier's next book, hoping that the 'valley girl factor' won't be present in that novel. If you are looking for a fun, romantic, interesting read, I recommend this book. The reader's voice gets a bit grating when she's doing the main characters in present day, but when the book switches back to Italy in the 1400s, she's great with accents and keeping myriad characters straight. Give her a lot of credit for that.

The spoken Italian is such a treat!

Would you listen to Juliet again? Why?

Too many books in the world I have to get to!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Juliet?

Both instances when the characters are in the "bowels" of Siena were nerve-racking, but thrilling. My dreams that night had me in the caves under Carmel!

Which character – as performed by Cassandra Campbell – was your favorite?

Narrator's Italian is lyrical to the ear. All her male characters sound identical, however.

Light, too long

Easy to pass the time driving with this one. But, as with so many novels, lately, way too long. Where are all the editors? Also, the character's personalities did not remain consistent throughout the novel.

great read

In a world full of turmoil what a great retreat to romance and mystery.

Excellent! Merits 20 hours

I took a chance on this book, trying to explore genres other than detective mysteries and nonfiction. It was definitely worth it. The depth of the characters and the intricacy of plot compelled me to listen way past bedtime. I am not a fan of the Da Vinci Code, and am surprised by the comparisons. The writing is excellent, if a bit immature. But this does not lead to distraction. I look forward to seeing how Ms. Fortier's talent becomes more skilled. Absolutely engrossing!

Clever take on Romeo & Juliet

Any additional comments?

A refreshingly different point of view for the renowned Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet.
I appreciated the authors use of scenes from Romeo and Juliet to set the mood for each chapter, and to get messages across. The mix between the past and present was also very cleverly interwoven.

I would have given it 4 stars had it not been for the main character herself, modern day Juliet.
I tend to relate more to stronger female leads and lets just say that Juliet seemed anything but strong. To start with she complained so much about her sister that at one point you feel like saying "not again!" She sounded more like a teenager at times, as opposed to a 20 something year old. Her discourses of self pity also got very tiering. Yeah we get it, you feel inept, don't have money, feel like the world is against you, its just not fair... blah, blah, blah Get over it and move on; put on your big girl panties and suck it up.

Had it not been for the perspective the author took and the other more lively characters, the book most certainly would not have had any redeeming qualities.