This book would have grabbed my interest no matter the plot since Mozart has always been my favorite composer. I love books—both fiction and non-fiction—about Mozart and his sister, Nannerl, such as the novel "Mozart's Last Aria" and the biography "Mozart's Women: His Family, His Friends, His Music."
I was immediately able to identify with Nannerl while she performed for Herr Schachtner. Playing for an audience is difficult enough, but when you are nervous and your audience is distracted, it is immensely difficult to let the music sweep your fingers across the keys. As a perfectionist myself, I know the agony of playing a single key incorrectly. When I was 16, I played in a talent show as the final act and played the final note in Schubert's Impromptu Op. 90 No. 4 in A Flat incorrectly and it distorted the entire performance. I was mortified.
I also know the compulsion to be the best. When you have invested so much of your heart into something, it is difficult to be supportive of someone else with more raw talent than yourself. Your soul is woven into the piano strings. Even though Nannerl loves her brother, she cannot help her jealousy, especially given his advantages due to his gender in this period.
Marie Lu did a phenomenal job of depicting Nannerl as a musician. The magical elements of her book are also well-crafted. I am fairly certain that I know how the plot will unravel, but I am wholly captivated by this book. I do not think I can wait until March to read it! If I do not win a copy, I will definitely be pre-ordering it. This is now my #1 most anticipated read for 2020!
I was immediately able to identify with Nannerl while she performed for Herr Schachtner. Playing for an audience is difficult enough, but when you are nervous and your audience is distracted, it is immensely difficult to let the music sweep your fingers across the keys. As a perfectionist myself, I know the agony of playing a single key incorrectly. When I was 16, I played in a talent show as the final act and played the final note in Schubert's Impromptu Op. 90 No. 4 in A Flat incorrectly and it distorted the entire performance. I was mortified.
I also know the compulsion to be the best. When you have invested so much of your heart into something, it is difficult to be supportive of someone else with more raw talent than yourself. Your soul is woven into the piano strings. Even though Nannerl loves her brother, she cannot help her jealousy, especially given his advantages due to his gender in this period.
Marie Lu did a phenomenal job of depicting Nannerl as a musician. The magical elements of her book are also well-crafted. I am fairly certain that I know how the plot will unravel, but I am wholly captivated by this book. I do not think I can wait until March to read it! If I do not win a copy, I will definitely be pre-ordering it. This is now my #1 most anticipated read for 2020!