Historical Fiction
The four Weber sisters were brought up with music. The eldest two, Josefa and Aloysia, are singers that sometimes compete for both singing roles and affection. The younger sisters Constanze and Sophie stick together and are less musical. In 1770 Austria, the family meets a young struggling musician named Mozart, whose eye is caught by Aloysia Weber. However Mrs. Weber has other plans for her children and carefully plots which fabulous men they should be betrothed to.
The novel plays out as the four girls mature in to women. We see how their mother tries to manipulate them to do what she wants and how they fight back. We also see how Mozart fits in to the family.
What I was most surprised at was how hard it was for Mozart to make a name for himself. I knew he was gifted and recognized for it as a child but I thought he was famous his entire life. Not so, he had to work very hard to become recognized.
I enjoyed the dynamics between the family members, the girls, and Mozart. This was a great historical fiction and I pictured the streets of Vienna in my mind as I read it, though I'm sure a lot has changed since then!
First Line: "I found my sister's wedding hat today in a round box of thin wood at the bottom of my wardrobe."
Rating: 
(4/5)
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