The Kingdom of Back is something different from Marie Lu, but is still filled with her lush descriptions, well-developed characters, and wonderfully imaginative worlds. This is a stunning work of historical fiction with elements of magic, focused on the little known story of Mozart's sister Nannerl and the fairytale kingdom they created as children. It is about the constraints placed on women during that time and the desire to leave a lasting effect on the world, but it is also about the bond between siblings and the complexities of family relationships. This book begins as a quiet, achingly beautiful tale and builds with intensity in the latter part of the book. It gets under your skin, juxtaposing beauty and magic with things that are....subtly disturbing at first, but become darker with time.
Nannerl Mozart is a gifted young musician who wishes to be remembered, but is overshadowed by her even more gifted and (more importantly) male younger brother. As a young woman in 18th century Europe, composing music is forbidden to her, but it lives in her soul as it does her brothers. So she makes a wish that she might be remembered and is answered by a fairy prince who introduces the Mozarts to the magical Kingdom of Back. But real life and the fairytale merge in strange ways, demonstrating that all is not as it seems.
This is a beautiful story that can be difficult to read at times. It seamlessly weaves together magic and reality. Darkness in the other world mirrors things like infectious disease (a big deal in this time period), beauty mirrors the music that the siblings create and perform. It is a story of familial love, but also about how those things can be complicated by gendered expectations, by parents with financial concerns, and by abuse in the form of neglect and over-working. The central relationship here is really the one between the siblings and that truly shines, even when Nannerl struggles with resentment she knows is misplaced. It is painful to see the limitations placed on her and other women, and will truly make you grateful for how things have changed. This one is well worth picking up.
Nannerl Mozart is a gifted young musician who wishes to be remembered, but is overshadowed by her even more gifted and (more importantly) male younger brother. As a young woman in 18th century Europe, composing music is forbidden to her, but it lives in her soul as it does her brothers. So she makes a wish that she might be remembered and is answered by a fairy prince who introduces the Mozarts to the magical Kingdom of Back. But real life and the fairytale merge in strange ways, demonstrating that all is not as it seems.
This is a beautiful story that can be difficult to read at times. It seamlessly weaves together magic and reality. Darkness in the other world mirrors things like infectious disease (a big deal in this time period), beauty mirrors the music that the siblings create and perform. It is a story of familial love, but also about how those things can be complicated by gendered expectations, by parents with financial concerns, and by abuse in the form of neglect and over-working. The central relationship here is really the one between the siblings and that truly shines, even when Nannerl struggles with resentment she knows is misplaced. It is painful to see the limitations placed on her and other women, and will truly make you grateful for how things have changed. This one is well worth picking up.