The Starre, the Moone, the Sunne
When young Nicholas’s printer father is arrested and held for execution in the dead of night, it kicks off a decades-long mystery, the secrets of which powerful people are willing to kill in order to protect. The only clues? A star, a moon, and a sun inked on the condemned man’s hand. When Nicholas comes of an age to ask dangerous questions, arsonists destroy the family print shop, but, undeterred, Nicholas assembles a team of unlikely allies to help him solve the mystery of his father’s death, as well as his role in an even greater story—who was the real William Shakespeare?
In his novel, narrated in true Shakespearean style by an omniscient fool, Destro employs a complex structure of stories within stories, mysteries within mysteries, somewhat reminiscent of the Canterbury Tales. He weaves together a rich tapestry of historical and fictional characters and events to provide inspiration for the Bard’s classic works, which Shakespeare scholars and aficionados will especially appreciate. The story leans into and explores one of the more popular anti-Stratfordian theories in a compellingly believable tale of illicit lovers, secret babies, hidden identities, shifting allegiances, and court intrigue. Destro’s extensive background in the subject matter is not only evident in the story details, but in the deliciously crafted prose featuring wordplay that would make the real Shakespeare proud—whomever he may be.
