Description:
This clever novel ... should become a book club favorite. -BlueInk Starred Review
A love letter to theatre ... a fantastic escape! -Austin Tichenor, Reduced Shakespeare Company
You're invited to attend opening night at the 2009 Blue Mountain Rose production of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
Richard James Aloysius Keane is a lion of the theater--and a weary man. His outdoor Elizabethan stage, the Blue Mountain Rose, lures theatergoers from around the world with its memorable productions. But after 40 years of service in all weathers, this grand "wooden O" in the Arizona mountains is showing its age. Tossed about by the financial storms of 2009, how will the Rose survive?
Company manager Kate Morales believes in this dream of a great theater in a small town. Richard says he might close down the Rose and retire, but Kate just can't say goodbye. She has been Richard's loyal understudy for a decade. Is she ready to step into the leading role?
When the unknown actor Peter Dunmore catches their attention with a star-worthy audition, Richard and Kate sense an opportunity. Maybe this "cross between Sir John Gielgud and the young Ken Branagh" can attract a new generation of fans with his powerful Hamlet. But Peter is haunted by a secret sorrow that could bring an end to all their dreams.
As they try to save the Rose, Richard, Kate, and Peter must ask themselves questions worthy of a Shakespeare play. What does it mean to belong to a family? Who do we mourn, and why? And what does it cost to wear a crown?
Review Quotes:
IBPA Book Award 2026 Silver Winner
Viola Award (2026) Finalist
"'Blue Mountain Rose' is a love letter to theatre and a valentine to the perfect summer Shakespeare festival we all wish we lived next to or worked at year-round. A fantastic escape!" --Austin Tichenor, Co-Artistic Director, Reduced Shakespeare Company and Creator, The Shakespeareance
"[A]s with any novel, the plot's the thing, and there's plenty of the standard elements--romance, secrets, intrigue--to carry readers to a satisfying conclusion. With Shakespeare's uncanny resonance even today, "Blue Mountain Rose" should become a book club favorite." --Blue Ink Review
"A touching novel about Shakespeare, love, loss, and family... made for theater lovers." --Hannah Johnson, Quarto
"Artistic... engaging... deft... with meticulous details and singular settings... Blue Mountain Rose captures the enduring and transformational power of Shakespeare's works." --Meg Nola, Foreword Clarion Reviews
"In this clever novel, characters staging a Hamlet production find that their lives coincidentally mirror many of the play's themes." --BlueInk Reviews
"Even readers not well versed in Hamlet will find enough background information about the play to stay in the loop. ... With Shakespeare's continued resonance, this should become a book club favorite with plentiful fodder for discussion." --BlueInk Review