Charbonnier, Rita. Mozart’s Sister. Trans. by Ann Goldstein. New York: Crown Publishers, 2007.
Nannerl Mozart was only a child when her ambitious father snuck her in to play her music infront of the aristocrats of Salzburg. Soon however, the child prodigy would be forgotten, her talents surpressed by her father in favour of those of her younger brother Wolfgang. Forced to hide her compositions from a young age, and even forced to give piano lessons to support her brothers career, Nannerl draws in on herself, becoming surly, and an embarressment to her family.
Although Mozart’s Sister is a work of fiction, the author’s portrayal of Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart seems believable and complete. Although at times a little heavy, the writing moves forward at a good pace. Although I believe that more emphasis on some of the background events happening (such an interesting time in Europe) would have made the novel more entertaining, it succeeds at displaying the predomintly emotional journey of a woman lost to history – eternally forgotten in favour to her younger brother.
