Resource Guide: 'Diavola' by Jennifer Thorne

On October 1, 2026 the Folger’s virtual book club returns with a discussion of Diavola by Jennifer Thorne. To prepare for the discussion, we have pulled together a list of resources related to Italy, poison, and past book club “spooky” picks.

READ Shakespeare’s play set in Renaissance Italy

• All’s Well That Ends Well (Florence)
• Romeo and Juliet (Verona)
• The Two Gentlemen of Verona
• Much Ado About Nothing (Messina)
• Othello (Venice)
• The Merchant of Venice
• The Taming of the Shrew (Padua)

LISTEN to related podcasts

• Episode 25: Shakespeare’s France and Italy
• Episode 144: Kathryn Harkup on Death by Shakespeare

DISCOVER early modern Italy

• The world of Italy in Shakespeare’s comedies – Excerpt: Shakespeare and the Comedy of Enchantment
• Tastes of the Mediterranean: Italian food before Italy
• Interview and excerpt: Jessica Goethals, Margherita Costa, Diva of the Baroque Court

EXPLORE articles on poison

• “One drop to heal, three drops to kill”: Women and early modern poison
  • By October 2026 guest presenter Dr. Ashley Buchanan, Associate Director of Fellowships for Folger Institute
• Possets, drugs, and milky effects: A look at recipes, Shakespeare’s plays, and other historical references

REVISIT past Book Club “spooky” picks

• A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
• Edith Holler by Edward Carey
• Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion 
• Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor