“Finally, to all the Nannerls out there. Whatever barriers are in your path, it is my deepest hope that you can shatter them, because we desperately needs your talent.
Keep going. Don't give in. Light up this world.”
Marie Lu ended her aknowledgements with these words and, ironically, I've decided to start my review from this ending. I didn't know Marie Lu played the piano and how she was drawn first to his figure and then to his sister's, Maria Anna, known as Nannerl by her family. Curious about her, who could play the clavier and composed skillfully as her brother, Marie Lu decided to write a story about the Mozart siblings, their passion about music, their relationship and the Kingdom of back, that was a magical place they invented to pass the time during their music tours.
“What beautiful creations were lost to us forever because Nannerl was a woman? How many other countless talents have been silenced by history, whether for their gender, race, religion, or socioeconomic circumstances?” asks Marie Lu in her author's note, impressed by Nannerl's figure and how the history forgot about her.
The kingdom of back (inspired by a magical place the Mozart siblings invented) is a story with Nannerl as main character. Nannerl is a talented musician and shares her love for the music and composition with her younger brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (affectionately known as Woferl) and her wish is to be never forgotten, to be remembered forever, to become a composer. But her gender forbids her to pursue her dreams. As she and her brother begin doing music tours, arranged by their tyrannical father, Nannerl's dreams starts to become more and more unreachable and growing up she starts to fear that her path, her future is already set and she can't do anything about it. So when a magical being offers her a chance to make her wish come true, in exchange for her help, Nannerls says yes. Even though she won't probably be ready for the consequences.
The kingdom of back is a tale about love, magic, music and a strong bond between brother and sister. Swinging between worlds, the real one and the kingdom of back, almost narrated into being by both Nannerl and Woferl with its upside down trees, white sands and princelings, it's a book really layered. Inspired by real events, Nannerl and her brother performed together as they toured, with their parents (but the father Leopold decided everything) throughout Europe, the reader can follow Nannerl's and Woferl's relationship and love for music, their tours, their performances, their practises.
The Kingdom of back is, in my opinion, a very feminist book. It focus on Nannerl's wishes and desires, her relationship with her younger brother, with her parents and that she would go to any length to get what she wants. Or so she thought.
Through Nannerl's eyes is immediately clear a profound sexism, in the 18th century Europe.
In a time where a young woman was expected to act, dress, think in a certain way, do and don't do certain things, Nannerls finds herself trapped in the society's and family's expectations and role. Her love for the music and her compositions and the impossibility to pursue her dreams weighs down on her.
Throughout the whole book Nannerl is told that she should act as a lady, she should think about what others could think of her (when she talked with Johann her father was angry others could spread rumors about her), should think about her future, her husband, her sons, how she should look after her younger brother because “she will need to learn how to be a mother soon enough”. In a time where women were seen only as mothers or wives, their opinion not considered, Nannerl struggles to accept her set pat. And her deal with Hyacinth is a way to get what she always have wanted: a validation, a way to be remembered, to be seen and heard as her brother was seen and heard.
Her relationship with Woferl is a complex one, because it's tainted by jealousy and envy, especially when, growing up, the difference in the way they are treated, the things they are permitted to do and who they could become, becomes more evident. It's, as many sibling's relationship, a love-hate situation, especially when there's an age difference (and, in this case, a gender one).
But their bond is incredibly strong and one of the most important theme in The Kingdom of back, the bond between brother and sister, by blood, music and magic. Magic and music have a huge role in the book and it was fascinating reading about what magic the music could conjure and how they are strongly intertwined.
The book pushed the reader to ask many question, moral ones. What would you do if someone could offer to make your dreams come true? Would you accept the consequences? What if what's gained isn't worth the cost?
Nannerl finds herself in a difficult position, ambition, desperation and desire to be seen by the society and, in the eyes of a young woman, by her father who represented The rules, the pater familias.
Reading about the kingdom itself was unbelievably beautiful, lush, evocative, because, as I written above, Nannerl and Woferl narrated into being or, through their words, they discovered a world that was always there, ready for Nannerl's wish. A world of magic and lies and quests, a stark contrast (or it's in the beginning) with Nannerl's real world, where she can be more present, more protagonist and fights her role.
The kingdom of back is a lush and evocative book and I was incredibly grateful to Marie Lu for this story, because she focused on a figure that was forgotten in history and made her brimming with life and desire again. Her author's note made me think about how many talents history has forgotten because they were of the “wrong” race, gender, religion and socio-economic background.
I found curious and intriguing knowing that The kingdom of back was the first book written by Marie Lu and the last, until now of course, to be published.
A tale of wonder, magic and music, about brother-sister relationship, princeling and magical world. This book is everything.
Keep going. Don't give in. Light up this world.”
Marie Lu ended her aknowledgements with these words and, ironically, I've decided to start my review from this ending. I didn't know Marie Lu played the piano and how she was drawn first to his figure and then to his sister's, Maria Anna, known as Nannerl by her family. Curious about her, who could play the clavier and composed skillfully as her brother, Marie Lu decided to write a story about the Mozart siblings, their passion about music, their relationship and the Kingdom of back, that was a magical place they invented to pass the time during their music tours.
“What beautiful creations were lost to us forever because Nannerl was a woman? How many other countless talents have been silenced by history, whether for their gender, race, religion, or socioeconomic circumstances?” asks Marie Lu in her author's note, impressed by Nannerl's figure and how the history forgot about her.
The kingdom of back (inspired by a magical place the Mozart siblings invented) is a story with Nannerl as main character. Nannerl is a talented musician and shares her love for the music and composition with her younger brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (affectionately known as Woferl) and her wish is to be never forgotten, to be remembered forever, to become a composer. But her gender forbids her to pursue her dreams. As she and her brother begin doing music tours, arranged by their tyrannical father, Nannerl's dreams starts to become more and more unreachable and growing up she starts to fear that her path, her future is already set and she can't do anything about it. So when a magical being offers her a chance to make her wish come true, in exchange for her help, Nannerls says yes. Even though she won't probably be ready for the consequences.
The kingdom of back is a tale about love, magic, music and a strong bond between brother and sister. Swinging between worlds, the real one and the kingdom of back, almost narrated into being by both Nannerl and Woferl with its upside down trees, white sands and princelings, it's a book really layered. Inspired by real events, Nannerl and her brother performed together as they toured, with their parents (but the father Leopold decided everything) throughout Europe, the reader can follow Nannerl's and Woferl's relationship and love for music, their tours, their performances, their practises.
The Kingdom of back is, in my opinion, a very feminist book. It focus on Nannerl's wishes and desires, her relationship with her younger brother, with her parents and that she would go to any length to get what she wants. Or so she thought.
Through Nannerl's eyes is immediately clear a profound sexism, in the 18th century Europe.
In a time where a young woman was expected to act, dress, think in a certain way, do and don't do certain things, Nannerls finds herself trapped in the society's and family's expectations and role. Her love for the music and her compositions and the impossibility to pursue her dreams weighs down on her.
Throughout the whole book Nannerl is told that she should act as a lady, she should think about what others could think of her (when she talked with Johann her father was angry others could spread rumors about her), should think about her future, her husband, her sons, how she should look after her younger brother because “she will need to learn how to be a mother soon enough”. In a time where women were seen only as mothers or wives, their opinion not considered, Nannerl struggles to accept her set pat. And her deal with Hyacinth is a way to get what she always have wanted: a validation, a way to be remembered, to be seen and heard as her brother was seen and heard.
Her relationship with Woferl is a complex one, because it's tainted by jealousy and envy, especially when, growing up, the difference in the way they are treated, the things they are permitted to do and who they could become, becomes more evident. It's, as many sibling's relationship, a love-hate situation, especially when there's an age difference (and, in this case, a gender one).
But their bond is incredibly strong and one of the most important theme in The Kingdom of back, the bond between brother and sister, by blood, music and magic. Magic and music have a huge role in the book and it was fascinating reading about what magic the music could conjure and how they are strongly intertwined.
The book pushed the reader to ask many question, moral ones. What would you do if someone could offer to make your dreams come true? Would you accept the consequences? What if what's gained isn't worth the cost?
Nannerl finds herself in a difficult position, ambition, desperation and desire to be seen by the society and, in the eyes of a young woman, by her father who represented The rules, the pater familias.
Reading about the kingdom itself was unbelievably beautiful, lush, evocative, because, as I written above, Nannerl and Woferl narrated into being or, through their words, they discovered a world that was always there, ready for Nannerl's wish. A world of magic and lies and quests, a stark contrast (or it's in the beginning) with Nannerl's real world, where she can be more present, more protagonist and fights her role.
The kingdom of back is a lush and evocative book and I was incredibly grateful to Marie Lu for this story, because she focused on a figure that was forgotten in history and made her brimming with life and desire again. Her author's note made me think about how many talents history has forgotten because they were of the “wrong” race, gender, religion and socio-economic background.
I found curious and intriguing knowing that The kingdom of back was the first book written by Marie Lu and the last, until now of course, to be published.
A tale of wonder, magic and music, about brother-sister relationship, princeling and magical world. This book is everything.