Juliet's Answer

Juliet's Answer (subtitled 'One Man's Search for Love and the Elusive Cure for Heartbreak') by Glenn Dixon is inspirational. It inspired me to want to stand on Juliet's balcony (so what if it's actually a sarcophagus that was added in the 20th century), view the mailbox where the love lorn post their letters, descend into her crypt, and attend an opera at the centuries old coliseum (which has nothing to do with Shakespeare's star crossed lovers, but is historical in it's own right). Dixon is a writer and former high school English teacher who penned Juliet's Answer as a memoir of the time he spent in Verona answering love letters addressed to Juliet, of Romeo and Juliet fame, and trying to find answers to his own questions about love. Along the way, he provides the reader with tidbits on the research on love, the history behind Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and a glimpse of modern day Verona. After visiting Italy several years ago, I've wanted to go back, but now I've added Verona to my list of places I want to see, thanks to Dixon. I am not a huge fan of Shakespeare, but should the occasion arise, I might even attend a performance of Romeo and Juliet, now that Dixon has piqued my curiosity. Spoiler alert: if you peruse the pictures Dixon provides in the middle of the book, you will know Dixon's story has a happy ending. But like many of life's experiences, it's the journey, not the destination, and the same can be said for Juliet's Answer.