Juliet. She’s one-half of the world’s most famous couple, whose enduring legend draws millions of visitors to Verona every year. But that’s only part of the story. Since the 1930s, Juliet has received an untold number of letters from writers all over the world. Most of the missives talk of love, of course—love found and love lost, love sought and love remembered. They may be written by teenagers in the throes of a first crush or struggling with parental censure. They may be from adults celebrating a hard-won love or wrestling with commitment. They come by the truckload, in almost every imaginable language—composed on ornate stationery, scrawled on loose-leaf, or scribbled on whatever scraps were handy. Frequently addressed simply, “Juliet, Verona,” all of these letters reach their destination and, amazingly enough, all of them receive an answer.

Letters to Juliet is the story of these letters and the volunteers who have been answering them for more than 70 years—volunteers who first acted privately, and who are now sanctioned by the city of Verona to answer thousands of letters each year as part of the Juliet Club. Complete with selected letters, this romantic and poetic book also contains the history behind Shakespeare’s tale and the monuments that fuel the legend. Utterly unique and magical, Letters to Juliet is perfect for anyone who’s ever felt the pangs of love.

LISE FRIEDMAN, a former dancer with Merce Cunningham, was the editor of the quarterly Dance Ink and is the author of First Lessons in Ballet, Break a Leg! The Kid’s Guide to Acting and Stagecraft, and STC’s Alvin Ailey Dance Moves! She lives in New York City, where she writes frequently about the performing arts.

CEIL FRIEDMAN is a freelance art historian and translator who writes extensively about contemporary art. She lives in Verona, where she has collaborated for several years with the Verona City Museums and other institutions in Italy.