Kissing Shakespeare

Kissing Shakespeare

YA fiction
How would you react if you were approached by a young man who
tells you the highly revered writer William Shakespeare needs your
help? That without your intervention his plays and sonnets might
never get written? If you're an avid Bangor Daily News reader you
might suspect you were having a close and potentially dangerous
encounter with a bath salts user. You might also concur with Miranda,
teen age protagonist of Pamela Mingle's Kissing Shakespeare, who sees
Stephen, poser of the question, as a total lunatic. After all
Shakespeare's been deceased for centuries. His plays are being taught
and acted out all around the world. What gives?
Stephen turns out to be a time traveler sent from 16th century
England to find a young lady who will return with him to rescue the
Immortal Bard by seducing him. Shakespeare is being recruited by a
Jesuit priest intent on him taking his vows. This is a very dangerous
proposition. Protestantism is the official religion of England.
Jesuits are being burned to death.
Seeing seducing Shakespeare as the only way of not only saving
world literature, but returning to her own century, Miranda agrees to
her role, playing the part of Stephen's sister Olivia. Fortunately,
since she aspires to follow in her parents' footsteps as a
Shakespearean actress, she knows a lot about the time in question and
is able to use it to adapt to her new and challenging role.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a spy in the midst of her household
putting all in danger with no clue to his or her identity. Ominously,
there is no guarantee that even if the mission goes off as planned
Stephen will be able to return Miranda/Olivia to the twenty-first
century.
Of all the time travel books I have read Kissing Shakespeare has
the most mature plot and characters. It's a good step up for fans of
this wonderful genre.
On a personal note, in February I was involved in Bearfest, a 12 hour
dance marathon up to the University to raise money for children's
medical care. It was wonderful. The music really pumped people up.
It was such a joy to dance for the first time in ages. There was so
much wonderful food to fuel us: cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn,
stacks of boxes of pizzas, mac and cheese, make your own ice cream
sundaes, sandwiches... At midnight people threw scads of glow sticks
shaped into jewelery down from a balcony and two girls were putting
bracelets on me. And yes, this mom, the only one who wasn't
traditional age, was still dancing at 6:00 in the morning. But I did
use it as an excuse to ditch church and go right to bed.
A great big shout out goes out to everyone who participated with me in
Besrfest.
Julia Emily Hathaway




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