Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Discuss | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
A Novel
by Natasha SolomonsRomeo and Juliet is arguably Shakespeare's best known and most performed work, yet Rosaline, a character who plays a pivotal role in its opening acts, is seldom recalled; although she's Romeo's obsession before he meets Juliet, the Bard gives her no voice. In Fair Rosaline, Natasha Solomons corrects this oversight, rewriting the tale from this forgotten woman's point of view and casting the star-crossed lovers in a completely new light.
As Solomons begins her tale, 15-year-old Rosaline Capulet has just lost her mother to the plague and her father is sending her off to a convent, where she'll remain cloistered for the rest of her life. She bargains for a 12-day reprieve, and vows to spend the time enjoying life as much as she can. She sneaks into a party given by her family's enemies, the Montagues, where she and Romeo meet and enjoy a romance that lasts until Romeo encounters Rosaline...
BookBrowse's reviews and "beyond the book" articles are part of the many benefits of membership and, thus, are generally only available to subscribers, including individual members and patrons of libraries that subscribe.
Join TodayIf you liked Fair Rosaline, try these:
by Sandra Newman
Published 2024
An imaginative, feminist, and brilliantly relevant-to-today retelling of Orwell's 1984, from the point of view of Winston Smith's lover, Julia, by critically acclaimed novelist Sandra Newman.
by Elizabeth Fremantle
Published 2023
A riveting novel based on the life of Artemisia Gentileschi—the greatest female painter of the Renaissance—as she forges her own destiny in a world dominated by the will of men.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.