O, Juliet by Robin Maxwell

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Summary: A retelling of the romance between Romeo and Juliet, focusing on their shared love of the poetry of Dante. 


O, Juliet makes the love story of Romeo and Juliet far more believable and touching than any other version. Yes, I include Shakespeare in that. Shakespeare had Romeo and Juliet marrying at 14, which although that did occur in Elizabethan England, was far rarer in Renaissance Italy. 

The actual writing was a little difficult for me, as I was not captivated by the poetry of Dante the way the author and Romeo and Juliet  were. I found this book a little slow, but well-researched and definitely full of life, joy, romance. While Juliet falls in love with Romeo the minute he quotes Dante to her in public, I fell in love with Romeo here:

"But the sight of my beloved alone with my mother at our table, and in such a state of easy grace, took my breath away.
...
He was listening. A man listening earnestly to a woman speaking. It shook me to the core."

Okay, I love Romeo too.

The plot unfolds in amazing ways and I would recommend this retelling to anyone who enjoys the story.