Ariel

One of the great things about Shakespeare is that you can put one of his plays in any era and it will fit. One of the great things about Grace Tiffany's books is that she is true to Shakespeare while bringing him to life from a new perspective. As with all her other books, this one made me want to go back and reread the original, in this case The Tempest. Ariel is imaginative, creative, humorous and profound; it's a great read.

The book is described as "young adult" but this not-so-young-adult liked it very much. The author borrowed the story line of Shakespeare's Tempest and added years, events, and characters in and around the play. The author also borrows some of the ways Shakespeare developed his characters. A "witch" is presented as not evil. A "monster" in the eyes of some is revealed as a sympathetic character. Most important is Ariel, a spirit of imagination, who leads people to trouble to the extent that they opt for a world of imagination instead of the world as it is. While the book may be accessible to young adults, its sophisticated treatment of characters gives it layers of meaning best appreciated by those long gone from high school. Its ending, which I will not spoil by revealing, is stunning, and provides much food for thought for anyone concerned with America's history and direction. One warning: those who prefer their spirits to be cuddly Tinkerbell's over spirits capable of malevolence, and those who prefer Disney-sanitized fairy tales over the original Brothers Grimm, might find this book unsettling.