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The BookBrowse Review
The BookBrowse Review
Published January 24, 2024
ISSN: 1930-0018
The BookBrowse Review
Published January 24, 2024
ISSN: 1930-0018
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The most exciting historical retelling of 2023: a subversive, powerful untelling of Romeo and Juliet by New York Times bestselling author Natasha Solomons.
Was the greatest ever love story a lie?
The first time Romeo Montague sees young Rosaline Capulet he falls instantly in love. Rosaline, headstrong and independent, is unsure of Romeo's attentions but with her father determined that she join a convent, this handsome and charming stranger offers her the chance of a different life.
Soon though, Rosaline begins to doubt all that Romeo has told her. She breaks off the match, only for Romeo's gaze to turn towards her cousin, thirteen-year-old Juliet. Gradually Rosaline realizes that it is not only Juliet's reputation at stake, but her life. With only hours remaining before she will be banished behind the nunnery walls, will Rosaline save Juliet from her Romeo? Or can this story only ever end one way?
Shattering everything we thought we knew about Romeo and Juliet, Fair Rosaline is the spellbinding prequel to Shakespeare's best known tale, which exposes Romeo as a predator with a long history of pursuing much younger girls. Bold, lyrical, and chillingly relevant, Fair Rosaline reveals the dark subtext of the timeless story of star-crossed lovers: it's a feminist revision that will enthrall readers of bestselling literary retellings such as Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell and Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese.
II
HIS NAME IS ROMEO
THE PLAGUE RECEDED LIKE THE WATERS OF A FLOOD, LEAVING DITCHES OVERFLOWING WITH HASTILY BURIED DEAD. CROPS MOLDERED IN THE FIELDS, AND BRIDGES LAY UNREPAIRED AS THERE WERE NO MEN TO HEW THE TREES INTO TIMBER, NO CARTERS TO HAUL THE UNCUT PLANKS TO THE RIVERS, AND NO CARPENTERS TO MEND THE ROTTEN BEAMS.
Rosaline watched in bewilderment as her father went onto his knees to give the Almighty thanks for his deliverance. She would not give thanks. God had seen fit to take from her what mattered most and left a world broken and pitiful.
Yet several times a week, a grudging Rosaline was urged into the small church crammed with penitents and grateful supplicants, all expressing thanks to every saint they could remember that they too had been spared. She noticed that it was those of her father's age who prayed with the most ardor. The younger congregants stifled yawns and were distracted, ignoring even the friar spraying spittle in his fervor as he preached. Rosaline watched enthralled, waiting to see who would be hit by clots of prayer and zeal, lobbed straight from God's messenger. The choral singing used to be joyous, until harmony in church was banned by Rome for inspiring profane and lustful thoughts. Rosaline found plainsong exactly that: plain and tedious. She thought again of her fate at the nunnery. To face a lifetime of prayer and single notes. How was she to bear it?
After church she sought her father in his office, studying his accounts.
Only, he wasn't looking at his ledger. He stared instead at a painted miniature of Emelia, caressing her varnished profile with a forefinger.
Rosaline seized her moment. "If you grant me a year's reprieve, at the end of it, I will enter the convent if not willingly, then without objection."
He frowned. "Why should I bargain with you?"
Rosaline gestured toward the painting of her mother. "She did not want me to be unhappy."
He glanced down again at the tiny painting clasped in his fingers. "Nor do I, Daughter. Even if you do not believe it."
"I do," she said, trying to sound as if she did and reaching for his hand, but the intimacy was too much and she let his fingers fall.
"A year's board and lodging is not inexpensive." Her father was a man of means though, and he cared little for the expense. He just wanted her gone. "Your mother desired you to go. Even if you don't want to hear it."
"And I shall. But give me a year more of the world. Let me fatten myself upon it before I lose it forever."
"Better to cut yourself off quickly. Seal the wound with fire. It will be easier thus."
She knelt down and blanketed his hand with kisses. "I beg you."
He was silent for a moment, considering. He looked unhappy, wavering. "I should like us to know each other a little better, Daughter."
She nodded, eager.
"And when you are admitted to the convent, you will allow me to visit?" he said, a note of sadness in his voice. "I have lost a wife; I shall not lose a daughter too?"
"You shall not," she answered.
"You may have twelve nights."
She looked up, aghast. "So little! That's not enough."
"That or you can leave at once. Do not forget, that for my all kindness, you are my own property to dispose of as I choose."
She agreed, blinking through a film of tears.
"Twelve nights from today you will enter the convent without appeals to the family or dramatic scenes, but quietly accepting your fate?"
She could not speak. There was a stopper of flesh and tears and panic closing her throat. "Yes," she croaked.
"Swear it, Rosaline."
"I swear."
She wanted to hear the sudden dirge of all the bells in Lombardy or a cacophony of rooks heralding the calamity of her misfortune, but there was nothing, only the distant iron clatter of hoof on stone as the horses were led around the yard and the cheerful pit-pit of a chaffinch.
Her father no longer looked at her but now turned to his abacus and his ledger. She was already dismissed. She ran from the room. Only twelve days to ...
Excerpted from Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons. Copyright © 2023 by Natasha Solomons. Excerpted by permission of Sourcebooks. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
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Here are some of the recent comments posted about Fair Rosaline.
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Be aware that this discussion will contain spoilers!
"I sense another plague coming to the wicked men of Verona." What was your reaction to this statement?
I agree with scgirl!! When I read the Abbess say that, along with all the descriptions / interactions about this abbey being more lax or progressive than another one nearby, I thought this would make a great follow up book. Vigilante ... - Rebecca L.
Are there other Romeo and Juliet retellings that you have enjoyed recently?
Literature abounds with stories of older men and young inexperienced innocent women, it is the normal, especially where the man is wealthy and worldly. " Rosaline" has implied a more sinister motivation. When I read the book through some ... - valeriei
Can you think of a character whose advice either of the girls might have respected?
It is difficult to imagine young teens listen to the advice of anyone. I think the closest would be Tybalt as he was same age and very close to Rosaline and Juliet - unfortunately he was also immature and not equipped to do anything other than react... - AmberH
Did Fair Rosaline change your interpretation of Romeo and Juliet at all? What about the author's note?
I do think that this is the question that has deepened our thinking about the Romeo and Juliet story, how families are big influences in their children's choice of a marriage partner. Also the customs of the historical time slot. As his ... - valeriei
Did you learn anything new about the time period in which the story is set?
I was surprised at how much actual freedom there was in the convent. - Lyris
Do you feel Rosaline would have been enamored of Romeo if she wasn't slated for the convent?
I think Rosaline would have been more patient, especially if she knew she had her whole life to find love and experience all of the things she knew nothing about at 15. She chose to go to the masquerade party because it was one way to make the most ... - acstrine
Do you think any path open to a woman of Rosaline's class at her time would have given her the things that she wants?
Not likely... Rosaline was a dreamer that could not create a life of freedom in her reality. My understanding is that education was strictly prohibited for women in order to keep their expectations low and stifled. Music and reading were true gifts ... - julib
Do you think Romeo had feelings for Juliet, or was he simply an opportunist?
Romeo was strictly an opportunist. I believe he was more in love with the pursuit and conquest than any of the women (girls) he wooed. To have gotten over his love for Rosaline the very night she rejected him was very telling - laurag
Do you think Rosaline and Juliet will be happy, living out their lives in the convent?
I'm not sure Juliet will end up staying at the convent. That might not be the life for her and it never says she will become a nun. Rosaline might eventually adapt. She can have the things she loves like music and maybe the sins of the flesh ... - scottishrose
How do Paris and Romeo compare in their pursuit of Juliet? Do you agree with Rosaline that Juliet's parents are to blame for the way the two men made a victim of Juliet?
I agree with notations by laurap and others above-- society norms were patriarchal and economic by default during this time period and women were considered possessions and "breeders" for elite families. In many ways, servants and nuns ... - julib
How does the feud between the Montagues and Capulets colors Rosaline and Romeo's interactions?
I think Romeo benefitted from the feud in that he knew Rosaline would be very reluctant to tell anyone what was going on between the two of them. It was the perfect situation for an older man to manipulate a younger, less experienced person. Did she ... - acstrine
How large a role, do you think, does fate play in the story? How much a part does fate plays in your own life?
I don't know as though I really believe in fate. In this story, it seems more about how some of the character manipulate outcomes, or try to manipulate outcomes. Things don't always turn out the way they plan. - scottishrose
In the face of a life-altering event such as going to the convent, would you have preferred to go right away or have a few days of freedom?
I would definitely choose to have a few days of freedom... and I would use my time to plot my escape! haha Unfortunately, there are many life altering events where we don't get any warning so I don't think always having a choice is an... - acstrine
Overall, what do you think of Fair Rosaline? (no spoilers)
I thought it was very YA but that's okay considering our subjects are young. Despite living in a time when they would be considered "grown up" its important to remember that they were teenagers. And this book helps highlight that about... - RaeRam14
Romeo demands that Rosaline choose to love him. What's your opinion about love? Do you believe it can be chosen, or is it always random?
I do think love can be chosen but I think in the case of this book it wasn't really love on either side. Obviously Romeo's "love" was a manipulation in order to trick Rosaline into giving him what he wanted - her virginity, her ... - Rebecca L.
Romeo seduces vulnerable young women. What do you feel Romeo wants from them? Does it differ by rank? How does Rosaline disappoint those expectations?
I don't necessarily think he was a pedophile. Rather I agree with the last poster in that I imagine him as a handsome young man who is charming and able to easily seduce young women. It's important to remember that these women seem to be ... - lisagewolb
Rosaline's freedom is the virtue she holds most dear, but she sacrifices it to earn the abbess's help. What changed for her? For whom would you make a similar sacrifice?
She realized all the damage which had been done when she wanted to protect herself and her reputation. Rosaline didn't want Juliet to go down the same path she did so she make a bargain with the abbess.
I would protect any of ... - scgirl
Tales Retold
I have always struggled reading the “classics”, and I’m including Romeo and Juliet in that group. The play was assigned in a high school English class, and I don’t remember reading it. (Cliff Notes maybe???... - acstrine
What do you believe Rosaline hopes to gain by telling Tybalt about her relationship with Romeo? Was she right to do so? What would you have done in her place?
I think that Rosaline was attracted to Tybalt. Towards the end, after she found out his love for her, she actually considered him as a possible love interest and thought about running away with him. I think she confided in him because they were close... - scgirl
What role does pride play in the book? In what scene do you feel a character's pride causes the most harm?
Pride is definitely used to show the pitfalls in Tybalt’s personality as it leads to the loss of the one thing he wanted most…. To be with Rosaline! - jos
Why do you suppose Rosaline's mother wanted her to go to a convent? Why do you think she didn't tell Rosaline herself?
I agree with Galatea that her mother may have perceived, because of the aunts, that the convent was a place of freedom is some sense for women. The nuns played music and sang; they tended the garden and copied books. Perhaps this a lifestyle ... - laurag
Romeo 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's cousin, 13-year-old Juliet. The story largely follows Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet from that point, although as observed by Rosaline.
What turns this familiar tale on its head is the author's depiction of Romeo. In her imagination, he's not a teenager in love but an older predator – Solomons envisions him to be about 30 – who's constantly on the prowl for extremely young women he can use and then callously discard. It's an incredibly creative take on the story, turning it from a romantic tragedy into a much darker narrative about powerful, manipulative men and their victims.
In addition to simply being an interesting spin on an old story, Fair Rosaline is top-notch historical fiction. Solomons frequently inserts period details that lend her account credibility. She writes, for example, that people sniffed "posies and oranges studded with cloves to ward off the plague" and that "harmony in church was banned by Rome for inspiring profane and lustful thoughts" – information that helps her readers become fully immersed in the world she creates. Her dialog, too, mimics what one thinks of as period speech without it becoming so realistic as to be unintelligible (e.g., "I should like to know you better, daughter"). It comes across a little stilted at first, but once one's "reading ear" gets used to it, it's effective, preventing the dialog from seeming too modern. I was also impressed by the author's beautifully descriptive writing:
At dawn the sun rose again and Rosaline with it. The dew was fresh upon the grass, laundering it clean and bright and luridly indifferent to her misfortune. Bees diligently pursued dangling lobes of jasmine for pollen, and a woodpecker rapped for breakfast.
The author takes a risk rewriting such a well-known and beloved tale, and some may have a difficult time enjoying such a radical reinterpretation. I for one found it challenging to reconcile Shakespeare's Romeo with Solomons', and I remain unconvinced by her rationale for this interpretation of the play, which she bases on Shakespeare's unusual emphasis on Juliet's age. And although Solomons' attention to historical minutia is admirable, at times her characters' actions and attitudes seem anachronistic, especially regarding Rosaline's interactions with Romeo and Tybalt.
Despite the issues mentioned above, I found Fair Rosaline interesting and entertaining, and a worthwhile read. I recommend it to readers who've enjoyed books like Circe and Ariadne – novels that give voice to women who, until now, have been silenced. Its beautiful prose and outstanding historical detail should make it popular with those who appreciate well-written historical fiction, and its feminist themes make it a good choice for book discussions.
Reviewed by Kim Kovacs
Elodie Harper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wolf Den
Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne
Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools
Rated 
of 5
by Zaidbhat
Best book every
This book is fully meaningful.
In Natasha Solomons' novel Fair Rosaline, the eponymous heroine is destined for life in a convent – specifically Sant'Orsola in Mantua, Italy. Margherita Gonzaga d'Este, a wealthy widow, commissioned the convent in the early 17th century, sparing no expense; she hired architect and artist Antonio Maria Viani to design the building, and commissioned artwork for it from the best regional artists of the day. When completed in 1612, it was comprised of a square of fifty rooms framing a large courtyard, with an octagonal church anchoring it at one corner; the complex spanned a full city block.
The convent was one of many across Europe built for the Poor Clares, an order of Franciscan nuns formed in 1212 by St. Clare of Assisi under the direction of St. Francis of Assisi. Poor Clares took vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and enclosure (that is, they agreed to live their entire lives behind the convent walls).
Girls and women became nuns for various reasons. For many, it was a vocation – a true expression of their faith and a natural outgrowth of their love for the Divine. Some saw the convent as a safe haven; it was a world predominantly free from the influence of men, and it liberated them from the dangers of childbirth and the uncertainties that could accompany widowhood. It was also the only way most women could obtain an education at the time, so others became nuns because of their love of learning.
Up to a quarter of the women in Italy's convents, however, were from elite families and had no choice in the matter. Convents were a convenient way for these families to rid themselves of women who were deemed unmarriageable (for instance, those with disabilities or who were "ungovernable") and provided financial relief to parents who couldn't afford to marry off multiple daughters (or who were simply disinclined to spend the money on women they felt had limited utility). Families placing daughters in a convent paid an optional fee, usually a sum much lower than a marriage dowry. Women whose families gave large amounts of money were in a better position at the convent than most; upon their entrance they were provided with a lavishly furnished private cell rather than consigned to life in the common dormitory, and they were generally given lighter work.
Regardless of how a woman ended up in a convent, once she took vows, she would very likely remain inside the convent walls for the rest of her life. Leaving was rare, since those who might have wanted to usually had nowhere to go and no way to make a living. In addition, the few who did leave were deemed apostates and automatically excommunicated – meaning they were excluded from church sacraments and not allowed a Christian burial. If found, they could be forcibly returned to the convent, where they would spend their life atoning in the hopes God might forgive them after death.
Life within Sant'Orsola revolved around the officium, a set of canonical hours established by the Roman Catholic Church that set aside specific times of the day for prayer and meditation (Lauds in the early morning, Prime at daybreak, Vespers at sunset, etc.). Between these mandatory services the women did their work, which might include composing music, writing letters to donors, copying and illustrating texts, authoring books, or embroidering cloth (Clare of Assisi is the patron saint of needlework and embroidery). They also tended gardens and grew their own food, cleaned the convent, and prepared meals for their fellow nuns.
In the 18th century, Italy – as well as most of Europe – underwent a period during which religious orders were suppressed, and the nuns of Sant'Orsola were caught up in the persecution. The convent was closed in 1782, after which the building was converted first into an army barracks and later a hospital. Although most of the complex was destroyed during World War II, the church itself survived and is a popular tourist destination today.
The church of Sant'Orsola in Mantua, Italy. May 8, 2011 (CC-BY-3.0)
Filed under People, Eras & Events
By Kim Kovacs
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