Juliet's Nurse by Lois Leveen

Final Rating: 4/5

An imaginative re-stitching of a familiar story

  Ah me, it's the story we all know. A tragic tale coiled around a feud that plagued two prominent houses of Verona and the "star-cross'd lovers" who in the end could only in death be together- so what more can be added? In Juliet's Nurse, Ms. Leveen manages to answer this question and creates a tale that embraces and walks among the characters set by Shakespeare and a standalone account that takes a unique perspective that of Juliet's wet nurse that few would think to tread. This is a daring work that not only holds those five days of love and tragedy but has the reader experience the city of Verona during the 14th century beyond the rose latticed balconies and encompasses powerful messages about life and death. Through the eyes and words of a woman named Angelica the reader is swept from a personal heartbreak to a significant encounter that locks the fates of Angelica and Juliet Cappelletta together and from there the story blossoms into an engaging and distinctive narrative that sets apart this work from being labeled as "just another Romeo and Juliet based story" that may just surprise and enchant many.

  For this reader, Juliet's Nurse seemed to be a realistic view of events and an imaginative re-stitching of a familiar story. Although this was not what I was anticipating it was still a nice surprise. I loved the multifaceted writing of Angelica's character and her side history but I kept shaking my head with certain familiar characters portrayals. Characters that were always drawn vividly in my mind as good and honorable were twisted in this work and the final impressions seemed to lay heavily on a mother's love, effects of previous loss, betrayal and ill wicked intentions versus the familiar star-crossed romance we all know. There was also this clash of love, lust and loss in the novel that bypassed love and settled on a theme of lust that although led to a more a realistic view of events, just left me a little sad when found. Repetitive scenes, topics, a rambling ending and delivery of dialogue that danced around the setting but never felt consistent also disappointed me. I suppose it is up to the reader in the end to close the cover and think this a bold spin on one of Shakespeare's most famous and recognized plays or an unfortunate crass tampering. Either way Juliet's Nurse is something a little different.

* I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy Juliet's Nurse: A Novel