"There is a disease that can twist men’s hearts and make them mad, and the name of that disease is jealousy." So begins this engaging retelling of one of William Shakespeare’s last plays—a fascinating and unique combination of intensity and whimsy. When King Leontes unfairly accuses his wife of infidelity, he sets off a terrible chain of events. But this is not one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. It’s a romance, and one with a healthy dose of fancy and surprise. A story of redemption and the strength of friendship and true love, The Winter’s Tale is perhaps also Bruce Coville’s most eloquent retelling yet, complemented masterfully by illustrator LeUyen Pham, whose rich and dramatic paintings are a revelation.
