This is a radical retelling of Shakespeare's most controversial play - The Merchant Of Venice . From the author of the critically acclaimed My Father Had a Daughter and Will comes this drastic and dramatic new portrait of one of the most controversial characters in literature - Shylock. In 1568, 21 year-old-Shiloh ben Gozan flees the Spanish Inquisition to live openly as a Jew in Venice. He brings with him a baby daughter and an oddly made turquoise ring, given to him by a woman he cannot forget. In Venice, as this ring is hidden, stolen, traded, lost and finally found again, it shapes not just Shiloh's life, but also that of his great enemy and business rival, whom he finally and horrifyingly confronts in a Venetian courtroom. The ring also becomes entangled in the fortunes of five women: Leah, Shiloh's first love; Jessica, his rebellious daughter; Nerissa, a maidservant; Portia, an outrageously rich and intelligent heiress; and lastly Xanthe, a Spanish refugee who alone can unlock the secret of his past.
