What do readers think of Mozart's Sister by Rita Charbonnier? Write your own review.

This historical fiction is of high interest as the subject is one that is not well known. Yet the writing does not allow the reader to feel the richness of that era of history. We see little of the history of the times, save for the music. And even that is sketchy. Mozart is depicted as a spoiled child/boy/man and his brilliance is masked in silly episodes. Yet I wanted to keep reading as the story line drew me in. At times, though, I felt that I was reading someone's thesis paper with a little action thrown in. I would recommend this book for a beach read but little else.

The book was generally well written, but got a bit boorish. Because I knew nothing of Nannerl Mozart when I started the book (I didn't even know Wolfgang had a sister), I found the first half quite appealing. I like the way Charbonnier moved between the narrative and the letters. However, about midway through I tired of her constant repeating that poor Nannerl was gypped out of her own life and success by an overly chauvinistic father who forced her to give up her dreams and ambitions to help secure her brother’s rightful place in the musical world. I was hoping for more real depth into Nannerl’s life, not just a sob story.

I had trouble getting over (what I took to be) translation issues. Much of the language felt stilted, and I often found myself stuck on a particular word or phrase, wondering what on earth the original might have been. This did not improve the already uneven flow of the narrative. I also found the plot too melodramatic, and several of the characters too unidimensional for my taste. In its favor, there were some descriptive passages and scenes that were really lovely, and I enjoyed learning more about the historical era of the book.

Rita Charbonnier successfully captures the mounting tension and complexity of a Mozart opera in her new novel Mozart's Sister. For readers who enjoy looking at events through the eyes of those usually forgotten by history, Mozart's Sister should satisfy. For readers frankly uninterested in the history of classical music, the novel can still be enjoyed for its careful depiction of the constraints and alternative routes to reward women knew in the 1700s.

Rita Charbonnier has created a wonderful novel depicting the life of Wolfgang Mozart's older sister, known to family and friends as Nannerl. As a child, she too was a prodigy, performing with her brother, but their father's sexist attitudes sent her down another path. This book takes us along with her - to find her place in the world and in music.

Maria Anna Mozart whose family pet name was Nannerl was the older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Her narrative has rich historical and metaphorical detail. I was charmed throughout ,but one passage which describes the children's musical notes was especially wonderful: "Their notes ran, improvised and anarchic, wild and noisy, from one door to another; they pursued, caught up, became entangled and let go; they flew out the window...." While this is Nannerl's story, her brother impacts her life, and how Nannerl comes to terms with her life and her music will satisfy the reader.
I loved the book for all the reasons mentioned and would recommend to those fascinated with historical fiction or biography.

The story of Nannerl Mozart, Wolfgang's sister, is told in a combination of epistolary and narrative form. It is an historical fiction of a woman with an independent mind and spirit attempting to fit in with the 18th century expectations of womanhood--the story of an anachronistic prodigy that must subvert her musical talent to those of her brother's. The epistolary parts are more lyrical, poetic, and nuanced. They were more immediately felt and fresh sounding than the overwrought narrative, which repeatedly advises us that Nannerl's chauvinistic father was very controlling and that she must sacrifice her musical ambition to promote and help fund Wolfgang's career. The tale is melodramatic, dearly earnest, with many exclamatory sentences and too much emotional repetitiveness. I would have preferred that the author flesh out more of the characters in Nannerl's life and give them more independent vitality than wield them as vehicles of Nannerl's plight. The story lacks emotional tension because emotions are overbaked. When the author does modulate her prose and gives more grace to her narrative (in Nannerl's letters), I feel more fully engaged in the story. Overall, it was moderately enjoyable, but the fervid doggedness feels intermittently stale and devotional.