In Mozart's Shadow: His Sister's Story

Author: Carolyn Meyer
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008
Pages: 350
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Nannerl Mozart was a musical prodigy who seemed to have a brilliant future. But once her younger brother, Wolfgang, began composing symphonies at the age of five, her  career and talents were utterly eclipsed. Here, at last, is Nannerl's heart-wrenching tale. It's the story of her undying passion for music; her relationship with her "miracle boy" brother, and her life as the "other Mozart," the one forgotten by history.

Review: I recently read The Diary of a Waitress: The Not-So-Glamorous Life of a Harvey Girl, and while it is written for the middle to high school-aged children, I enjoyed it. Interested in other books this author has written, I found her on Goodreads. In Mozart's Shadow jumped out at me because my 10 year old just finished a book report and project on Mozart for school. We read Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart together so this was a chance for me to learn more about his sister.

The middle of this book was repetitive while Mozart traveled around Europe performing and composing, but Nannerl herself was given the short end of the stick. She was also considered a child prodigy, but life in the 1700s did not give girls the same opportunities as boys. My heart broke for her.

Carolyn Meyer Novels
Cleopatra Confesses
Diary of a Waitress: The Not-So-Glamorous Life of a Harvey Girl
Doomed Queen Anne
Mary, Bloody Mary 
The Bad Queen