Robin is the author of eight works of historical fiction all of which feature strong heroines in remarkable situations. I first encountered her work when I picked up Signora Da Vinci in a bookstore last fall. Signora Da Vinci is an imagined look at Leonardo da Vinci's life through the eyes of his mother. Maxwell fabricates a fantastical life for the mother of the genius -- a woman who we know almost nothing about in actuality. What results is a fun read!
I received an advance copy of O, Juliet which I read over the Christmas holidays. Again, Maxwell has taken on a familiar story -- this time Romeo and Juliet. But she has made it her own. Set in Florence (not "fair Verona"), Juliet and Romeo are not only "star-crossed lovers" but they are also poetry fans, obsessed with Dante. She presents a full, tantalizing take on a familiar story in clear prose. Poetry fanatics beware: Maxwell's Romeo and Juliet write their own poetry, too, which is stylistically anachronistic. But that's the beauty of historical fiction: the voices of another era can speak in today's cadence and be relevant to another generation.
Links:
- RobinMaxwell: O, JULIET is Published! (view on Google Sidewiki)
- Eight Questions for Robin Maxwell
- Casa di Giulietta (Juliet's House) in Verona