Customer Reviews

Mozart's Sister

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The name of the great Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart, is well known but little has ever been revealed about his equally brilliant older sister Nannerl until now. Five years older than her six-year-old brother Wolfie, an indulgent father took them on a grand tour seeking the fame and fortune he insisted his `Wunderkind' child prodigies deserved. During the tour, Nannerl would see herself pushed to the side as her younger sibling stole the limelight with outrageous behavior and cute tricks. As they grew older the father's favoritism pushed Nannerl further into the shadows indulging and favoring the young precocious Wolfie.

Although steadfast in her love for her father Nannerl yearned for her chance at fame but resigned herself to disappointment then disillusionment of ever gaining the musical recognition so freely given to her brother. Life for Nannerl was not always fair and as she entered into adulthood and near spinsterhood happiness was still elusive until she chanced to fall in love. Nannerl's faith would be tested often throughout the years until finally coming to realize her place in the love of her family and God.

*** This is a beautifully written and well researched book that is extremely accurate based upon the prodigious amount of correspondence that Leopold Mozart (the father) insisted be kept. Told in the first person, it covers 30 years in the life of Mozart's sister who because of her sex and the times was never given the opportunity to shine. It portrays the father as a demanding task-master who indulged and directed his children's lives to their later detriment. Through good times, bad, financial windfalls and losses, sickness and death the author immerses the reader into the period invoking all the appropriate emotions and testing Nannerl's faith in herself and in God. At times it was so sad I needed to put it down over the injustice of watching a vibrant young soul kept the fame she was entitled to because of her gender. History lovers should find the historical tidbits, of which there are many, to be fascinating and for that purpose it will find an appreciative audience.

Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization

For all the music or historical fiction lovers on your gift list, Nancy Moser's exquisite novel will whisk them away to 18th-century Vienna. Did you even know Mozart had a sister? Six years his senior, Nannerl was every bit as talented as her precocious and highly acclaimed brother. Yet because she was a woman, she was overlooked by society, as well as her father.

The book is told from Nannerl's point of view and reads like a piece of music, with sections entitled "Prelude," "Overture," "Interlude," and more. The author's beautiful writing and detailed research give readers an intimate peek into the eccentric personalities who inhabit the Mozart home.

For those of us who do most of our traveling by armchair, Moser's dramatic tale is richly satisfying.

-- Christian Women Online Book Buzz

The idea of writing an historical novel based on the life of Nannerl Mozart is a wonderful one, that has the potential for a rich and exciting story, highlighting very human and still-relevant struggles. However, a "good idea" can only take you so far - if it is not executed well, it is nothing. Sadly, this is how I found "Mozart's Sister" to be. It has such great potential, and truly, parts of the novel ARE interesting enough to hold one's attention, and it is written by an author who possesses talent, but the majority of the book is utterly boring. I can understand & accept that most of her life probably WAS boring, and that in and of itself, given her immense talent, is an outstanding fact - but a reader doesn't want to read 200 pages about the boring years of her life! The latter third of the book I found to be quite interesting, and I wished that Moser had abbreviated the first portion of her novel, and expanded more on Nannerl's later life.

While it is rich with lavish historical details which were well-researched by the author, and follows the every day life of the lesser-known Mozart child fairly accurately, it simply hasn't got enough substance of plot to keep one hooked. It is a great book for learning about the Mozart family, but not for the entertainment purposes that I generally read novels for. So while the synopsis is beautiful, the novel was made painstakingly historically accurate, and the writing was of good quality, "Mozart's Sister" still missed the mark for me.

Grade: C+

--excerpt from Mozart's Sister
Finally finding myself with Mama's full attention, I asked the question again. "What is my destiny, Mama?" To perform with your brother, becoming the greatest due in all musical hist--
Mama stroked my cheek. Her face lost its adamant edge and eased into a wistful smile. "You, my dear daughter, are destined to be a wife and mother. You will have many children and teach all of them to make music just as we have taught--"
I took a step back, shaking my head.
"You are upset?" Mama asked.
"I want to be a great musician like Wolfie. I want to compose and perform all over the world--with him."
"Even you brother will eventually need to find a paid position in a court. But paid musical positions are not available for women. Now, if you were a great singer, you might be able to sing in an opera..."
I felt the air go out of me...
"But it's not fair. Just because he's a boy and I'm a girl..."



Life was never fair for Nannerl Mozart. Possessing as much musical talent as her little brother Wolfgang, she was forced to sit idly in the shadows and endure the applause lavished upon him by the crown heads of every European nation. Dragged on tour around the globe, her talent and self-worth were at first stifled then altogether forgotten by those whose opinions mattered most. Ever the dutiful child and woman, Nannerl sacrificially gives way to Wolfie's fame and glory.
Even in love, she is thwarted, as plain, simple Nannerl is overlooked time and again. Yet she waits. Always waiting. Waiting for her shining moment, for her opportunity to make a name for herself. In the end, it is the noblest of callings in which she shines--that of wife and mother.
Author Nancy Moser has taken a forgotten name in history and brought it to life, finally doing justice to this unpretentious yet gifted woman. A compelling narrative, "Mozart's Sister" sympathetically relays the account of a girl's inward struggle between society's regulations and the extraordinary endowments God has given her which she yearns to share with the entire world.
Every fan of classical music will find this book enlightening, a wonderful collection to their library. "Mozart's Sister" is a heart-warming story of triumph through broken dreams, which will captivate the heart of even the most musically illiterate.
This one is a treasure.

The opening scene pulled me into the story, whetting my appetite for more. I thought the author's use of different words from music composition to describe each stage of Nannerl's life incredibly genius.

The author's attention to culture and detail created a fascination in me for that era. I was there. I also found the Mozart family's eccentricities interesting. As the story continued I found myself empathizing with Nannerl. A few times I wish she'd made better choices for herself, but since this was based on her actual life, the author didn't have much liberty there. I thoroughly enjoyed being drawn into that portion of European history with all of its sad realities. More people died than lived, especially children and infants. And the horrid practices of medical science at the time made me cringe as I read about them.

I appreciated the author's obvious research into the way things were for women in the late 18th century. My heart ached for Nannerl as she continued to be the obedient child despite the consequences. I loved her epiphany when she realized that Wolfie did what he wanted and still managed to do well with his life, and she denied herself her own desires and wishes only to be disappointed in the end. I ached for her loss of love, her desire to please her family at her own expense, yet I found it very realistic. The author made me care about this woman born so long ago.

At first I wasn't sure I'd like the ending because of circumstances I shall not mention or it would be a spoiler, but let me just say that I ended up feeling good about the way the author concluded the story of Nannerl Mozart's life. That made me feel much better when I closed the book. I could not have made some of the sacrifices Nannerl made and applaud the author for bringing insight into the times Nannerl was forced to live in. Wonderful story, heartwrenching on several occasions, but thoroughly enjoyable. I adored every page and am thoroughly impressed with the author's use of the first person point of view. I often failed to notice and felt as if I were the heroine in the story. For that I give the author a hearty, bravo!

What would you do if your brother was the most famous musician in all of Europe? And that you had to sacrifice everything from your home to your dreams of becoming a pianist to even the man you love? All that and more happens to Nannerl Mozart, the older sister of THE Mozart. Told from Nannerl's point of view, this historical novel takes the reader on an epic music saga. Heartbreaking and inspiring, it tells the tale of the one of the world's most famous musician from one who both loved and despised him.

Have you seen the movie Amadeus? It is one of the best historical movies I have ever seen. But interestingly, there is no mention (at least that I can remember) of Mozart's sister. Therefore reading this book was like stumbling on a long lost diary. This book is wonderfully written, rich in detail and description. I could see myself visiting all the palaces and different cities with the Mozart family. This would have been sibling rivalry at its finest. I totally sided with Nannerl throughout the whole book. Her brother made it very difficult for her to be happy with her life. Everything that she wanted had to be put aside to help her brother become famous. I really thought it was sad that she could not do what her brother did simply because she was a girl. The unfairness of everything for Nannerl is just painful. I also really felt sorry for her mother who had to sacrifice everything for her son and husband. What I liked about the book was that even though Nannerl had to show her love and support for her brother, we also can see how she struggled with having total allegiance with him. Reading about how she was mad and angry with the men in her life made her seem like a real person. Nancy Moser has written an excellent work of historical fiction. Between this book and Just Jane, she has proven herself to be an outstanding name in this genre. I would love to see this book made into a movie. Highly recommended for music and history fans.

As noted by Mrs. Moser and other reviewers, books on Mozart's sister have been sorely lacking. However, details of her life are brought to light in Mozart's Sister. I am an avid reader of anything Mozart and, as a Christian, even more excited to see something related to him published by Bethany House.

I didn't have much trouble getting into the book. What I gradually found grating, though, was her writing style and the phrases she used. Maybe it's just a personal preference, but I found them a bit too modern and cliche for this period.

What I found interesting is Nannerl's narrative changes as she grows. As a child she thinks of much simpler things. As she gets older, you can see her character develop more as her focus changes. Maybe this is a pretty simple effect but I enjoyed being able to recognize it.

Yes, there was much about Nannerl being brushed off as a composer in favor of her brother, but I soon became weary of her mood swings -- in one line she's annoyed over a situation, a couple lines later she's happy about something. This continued through most of the book and I thought by the time she was older, it might have worn off a little bit and she would eventually find a happiness in her situation, even though she wasn't able to become as "musical" as Wolfgang. I agree with another reviewer: the latter part of her life with the romance was much more intriguing and brought the character of Nannerl into her own, especially after she married, and had to suddenly take care of a number of children from her husband's previous marriage. However it was hardly focused on.

I also really enjoyed Mrs. Moser's interpretation of young Wolfgang and his interactions with Nannerl, as well as their tours when they were younger. Another character the author had to flesh out with a lack of sources was Nannerl's mother, and I liked her interpretation of her too. I wasn't too thrilled with Leopold's character. There were just some things that didn't seem to settle right with me, as a Mozart biography reader. But I have to give Mrs. Moser credit, as sources about Nannerl are pretty rare.

And while I don't enjoy being inundated with holier-than-thou characters and hackneyed spiritual speeches (one extreme), there was not much in the way of a Christian focus here (the other extreme). There was a touching scene between Nannerl and a Protestant pastor in England, but beyond that not much else. By the time I finished I was unsure why Bethany House wanted to publish such a book that had so little in the way of Christian character. It ended up feeling like the "religious bits" had been added in as an afterthought.

In any case, this is a good read from the library, but seems a bit trite after a while. However it's wonderful to see a historical figure, otherwise outshone by her brother, brought to light.

This is a bio-novel about the not-so-famous sister of Mozart. A bio-novel is where the author takes their true life stories and writes a novel, but sometimes has to come up with parts of it, like dialogue. As a musician, avid reader, and a person intersted in history I loved this book. I am not a big fan on biographies, so to read one that is like a novel is more enjoyable for me. I found it educational, captivating, and a real page turner. I checked a lot of parts in the book to see if they were really what happened or the imagination of the author, and was pleased to see that the author did not alter the story of Nannerl's life (Mozart's Sister).

It was fascinating to learn that she was just as talented as he was, she was a child prodigy, yet she was denied so many opportunities being a female, and she never received the chance to progress and become a professional, although she could have.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about Classical composers, is curious to read about Mozart's sister, and anyone who is willing to try a bio-novel. Reminder it is not a biography.

I have read "Just Jane" ny the same author and loved it. I look forward to reading the third book which is about George Washington's wife entitled "Washington's Lady."

Prodded by their father Leopold and trained since birth to perform, by 1762, twelve years old Nannerl Mozart and her seven years old brother Wolfgang play in public for the first time. Thirty years later Wolfgang is dead not too long after Leopold passed away while Nannerl reflects back on their lives wondering if they started even earlier whether his precocious talent would have still overwhelmed her superb skills. Their late father believed this is so as Wolfgang got all the praise from royal patrons and especially from their dad. Though she dreams of performing to regal accolades and settles pragmatically in marriage to Johann, she looks back at what might have been.

This is a terrific biographical fiction of Nannerl Mozart, who apparently was a very talented musician, but never received any acclaim from patrons or her parents because she performed for the most part along side her superstar brother. The story line brings to life late eighteenth century musical Vienna from a different perspective as readers observe how Nannerl deals with a talented precocious highly acclaimed younger brother though some say she rivaled him in performing skills. This is a winner as readers learn the pressures on females to conform while their artistic male siblings can do almost anything and like Nannerl (at least in this novel) wonder what if. Nancy Moser provides a powerful insightful tale that has a modern day message of encouraging the young to be all that they can be.

Harriet Klausner

I did not even know Mozart had a sister before coming across this novel. I find it sad that Nannerl's gender made it so we are all aware of her brother but know very little of her. The book title exemplifies this fact.

I found Nannerl's character to flip flop a lot. She will lament about the fact that she can not perform because she is a girl and will cry and be upset and in the very paragraph she is asking for forgiveness for having had those thoughts. I felt she needed to be stronger. However, it is probably appropriate for the times that she accepts her role as a female and dares not stand up for change. I think the book was a decent read.