From the very beginning, she was a radical. At age nineteen, Charlotte Cushman, Americas beloved actress and the countrys first true celebrity, left her lifeand countless suitorsbehind to make it as a Shakespearean actress. After revolutionizing the role of Lady Macbeth in front of many adoring fans, she went on the road, performing in cities across a dividing America and building her fame.She was everywhere. And yet, her name has faded in the shadows of history. Now, for the first time in decades, Cushmans story comes to full and brilliant life in this definitive, exhilarating, and enlightening biography of the 19th-century icon. With rarely seen letters, Wojczuk reconstructs the formative years of Cushmans life, set against the excitement and drama of New York City in the 1800s, featuring a cast of luminaries and revolutionaries that changed the cultural landscape.A vivid portrait of an astonishing and unique life, Lady Romeo reveals one of the most remarkable women, and restor