Juliet's Nurse

October 20, 2014
In her second novel, Leveen (The Secrets of Mary Bowser) imagines the life of Angelica, the nurse in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. She brings mid-14th century, post-plague Verona to life with its poor, its royalty, and the battles between rival familiesâhere called "Cappalletti" and "Montecchi." Before Angelica can grieve the loss of her own (unexpected) baby in childbirth, her husband, Pietro, a beekeeper, arranges, with the politically savvy Friar Lorenzo, for her to be the wet-nurse for the newborn Cappalletti daughter, Juliet. As the inevitable bond between babe and wet-nurse grows, we are drawn into the protected world of the ultra wealthy, seen through the eyes of the hardworking, no-nonsense but good-humored nurse. Also remarkable is the strong relationship between the nurse and her steadfast husband (in marked contrast to the stiff Cappallettis), who uses his beekeeper trade to gain access to the Cappalletti gardens and his beloved wife. The characters from Shakespeare's work become presentâLord and Lady Cappalletti, Tybalt and Mercutio, Rosaline, and the ill-fated Romeoâand Leveen adds rich new layers to the story we know so well.

September 15, 2014

Boy and girl meet, fall in love, marry in secret, and bring tragedy down upon themselves and their families. A familiar story, and yet Leveen (The Secrets of Mary Bowser) brings new life to this old tale. Angelica and her husband, Pietro, live in Verona, and after the death of their newborn daughter, Pietro arranges for Angelica to stanch her grief by finding her the position of wet nurse to the wealthy Cappeletti family, who also have a daughter, Juliet. Angelica finds happiness in the sweet baby and humor in the antics of Juliet's cousin, Tybalt. For many years her happiness builds as she watches her charge grow into a beautiful young woman, but one night at a masquerade ball Juliet meets a young man named Romeo. Leveen's intricate storytelling is impressive--a careful rereading of Shakespeare's play reveals that the author has found the smallest nuances and expanded them into fully fleshed out events and characters. VERDICT Beautifully written, this retelling of Romeo and Juliet will be a satisfying read for fans of historical fiction.--Anna Nelson Karras, Naples Regional Lib., FL

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