Jen Recommends

A library volunteer recommended Juliet by Anne Fortier, and I'm so glad she did. Initially I wasn't so sure about it because Publisher's Weekly called it "The Da Vinci Code for the smart modern women." I didn't like The DaVinci Code, and I generally shy away from romances. But I was pleasantly surprised by Juliet. It turns Shakespeare's classic love story around and makes it feel new.

Here's a synopsis: Julie Jacobs and her twin sister Janice were orphaned at a young age and raised by their Aunt Rose. When Rose passes away, she leaves Julie the key to Julie's mother's safe deposit box in Italy. Julie travels overseas and unravels her mother's oblique clues to discover that she is descended from Giulietta Tolomei, the "real" Juliet who inspired Shakespeare. Because she is a Tolomei, Julie has unknown enemies in Italy. As long as she remains there, she is in danger. But if she can stay alive long enough to locate Romeo and Giulietta's hidden tomb, she will find a priceless treasure. Meanwhile, Julie is falling for a man who belongs to an enemy family... Oh, those Tolomei girls!

It's improbable and melodramatic, but it's also lots of fun. I can't help but like it, because it belongs to my favorite mini-genre: Woman goes to the library to solve a family mystery. There are many of these stories (really!), and I love them all. If you also like such stories, you may enjoy The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton or The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff.

Juliet is available at the Brentwood Library as a book or audiobook on CD.