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?