The first time I heard of Nannerl Mozart was when I read a picture book about her brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Now, years later, I got the chance to read another book about Nannerl, The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. The Kingdom of Back tells the story of Nannerl, a child prodigy who is incredibly talented at playing the clavier. Yet despite her talent, Nannerl fears being forgotten, especially while her even more talented younger brother, Woferl will not be. She gets a chance to change her future when at the beginning of the story, Nannerl has a dream of a magical kingdom called The Kingdom of Back. It becomes a fairytale story she tells Woferl, and then it becomes more than just a story when the two of them start having experiences entering the kingdom and spending time there. Nannerl learns that she must save the kingdom and starts discovering secrets about its present and past. The secrets could help her be remembered, but becoming famous could damage her closeness with Woferl so she has to carefully choose what is best for the kingdom and her family.
I thought Nannerl’s passion for music was interesting. In many places, especially the Kingdom of Back, she could hear music, and it influenced her impression of people and places. When the music was off key, she sensed something was wrong and when it was light and airy, she felt happy. She brought music into her everyday life. When she composed, she tried to bring these feelings into her music and I liked reading about it. I also admired her concentration and hard work when she practiced. She imagined other worlds as she played so that she could really express the music the way she wanted to. I thought her hard work was inspiring because she not only wished to be known for her music, she also worked very hard for it, even when it did not seem to be going her way.
Another thing I really liked about the book was how it was both a historical fiction book and a fantasy book. I love both those genres and I think that finding a book with a combination of the two is rare. Both Nannerl’s worlds were vivid and fascinating and easily came alive in my head. It is not hard for me to picture the Kingdom of Back with its twin moons shining over the enchanted forest of upside down trees and the author also made it easy to understand the world of 18th century Europe with its kings, queens, palaces, and opera houses. One way the author made it easier for me to understand the time Nannerl was growing up was by having characters mention other historical events such as the French and Indian war. It felt natural when the characters talked about what was going on in the world and it helped me understand more about Nannerl’s world by comparing the time to something I knew a little more about. The mix of both the worlds made the book more interesting to me, because just when I got a little bit tired of one world, the book switched to the other world which captivated me again.
I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you like historical fiction, fantasy, or both.
-Maya
Awesome post! I was a really big fan of Marie Lu's older books but I haven't had time to sit down and read some of her newer books. I think it's interesting that this story is being told from Nannerl's point of view. Most people probably don't even remember her existence. I think that's a really unique and intriguing part of this book and I'll definitely be checking it out.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a book before that combines historical fiction, fantasy, and music together. I think this would make for a pretty interesting plot, and I'll have to check it out sometime. Great review!
ReplyDeleteCool post! I have read Marie Lu's older books and I liked her writing style and plots a lot so I'll be sure to check this book out! It sounds interesting and unique, and your review was super helpful. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHm, interesting. I remember reading one of Marie Lu's works a while ago and finding her writing quite engaging, so I might check this one out. Overall, great review - I like how you described the imagery of Lu's writing and how easy it was to picture in your mind's eye.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is interesting that music represents the 'aire' of a particular place. I think that this is really cool and something that kind of works in real life. Some cultures of have different music than others, and I like the way this book goes with it. I think it's interesting.
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