A Daughter of Fair Verona

Have you ever felt the all-consuming teenage passion of Romeo and Juliet? Can you imagine marrying the person you fell in love with at thirteen years of age? In your opinion, how would that union have turned out in today’s society?

Rosie’s life has been so saturated with the Romeo and Juliet romantic legend that, at the beginning of the story, she’s stubbornly opposed to falling in love. Do you consider that an expected reaction? How would you react to being a child of such famed and venerated lovers?

For the most part, Rosie speaks to the reader in a contemporary voice and in fact is lamentably bad at the poetry that epitomizes Shakespeare’s tragic romance, Romeo and Juliet. In your opinion, does her flippant sarcasm add or detract from the story told in A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA? Do you feel you related to Rosie more because of the lack of Shakespeare’s Elizabethan language?

On page 1, Rosie sarcastically says, “Nothing bad ever came of love at first sight, right?” Yet despite her opposition to falling in love, at her betrothal ball, Rosie runs into Lysander and, like her parents, is instantly smitten. Do you believe in love at first sight? What do you think are the chances of union based on passion and visual attraction surviving?

Have you known a gossipmonger like Porcia? How would you/did you handle her constant barrage of insults and accusations?

Prince Escalus is intent on proving Rosie innocent of the murder at her betrothal ball. As you read that scene, did you believe the remote prince was motivated by his quest for justice and his desire to keep Verona’s peace? Now that you’ve finished the book and know more about his character, what do you see as his true motivations?

The author considered many titles for this first work in the Daughter of Montague series before settling on A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA. What alternate titles would you give this story?

Overall, what is your take on the liberties the author took with the most famous and cherished Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet? How would you tweak the most known love story of all time?

In order to research the setting of this story, the author visited Verona, Italy, one of the less visited, yet most beautiful cities in Europe. After reading this story, would you visit fair Verona? Knowing that Romeo and Juliet is a work of fiction, would you visit the tourist sites (notably Juliet’s house with her statue and the iconic balcony) dedicated to the doomed lovers?