William Shakespeare

"A fantastical novel which reworks Shakespeare's 'Pericles' into a parable for today"--

Presents a fictional adaptation of Shakespeare's The winter's tale, a tale of a jealous king and the punishment he visits on his faithful wife, and the resolution that unfolds with a new generation.

The handsome young King of Navarre and his three friends--Berowne, Longaville, and Dumaine--make a pledge to retreat for three years to study literature and art, depriving themselves of all comforts, including the company of women, for the duration. The pledge survives intact for exactly as long as it takes the beautiful Princess of France and her three friends--Rosaline, Maria, and Katherine--to travel to Navarre on a diplomatic mission from her...