The Instrumentalist - Harriet Constable

 

This one was shared with me from my book club.  It's the story of Anna Maria della Pieta, a real life, violin virtuoso in the 17th century.  She was raised in a well known girl's orphanage in Venice that trained them to play instruments and had a world renowned orchestra which Anna Maria eventually ran until she died at 87 in the orphanage, having lived there her whole life. Her mentor was Vivaldi, the composer of the classical music composition, The Four Seasons. 

The author takes these facts and tells a tale of a virtuoso with the drive to become a maestro who sacrifices her relationships for a career that ultimately would not be allow to a woman.

I found the purse overly descriptive, flowery and difficult to get through as it didn't add to the story. 

Published:  2024  Read:  2026  Genre: Historical fiction

In the Name of Friendship - Marilyn French

Why have I not heard of this author before?  She was a major influence on feminism with her 1977 book, The Woman's Room.  She wrote many, many scholarly articles and books as well as works of fiction.  I am so glad I found this one! 

She tells the story of four women friends, from their late 70's to early 30's.  Their voices are so real, their conversations intimate, kind, meaningful.  It is a book written completely from the female perspective, with no apologies or stereotypes - so refreshing!  I bought another one of her books and will read her first.

She did a dissertation on James Joyce's Ulysses and has written extensively on feminism in Shakespeare. 

I liked this quote :

"What really happened in aging was that every day your got more and more amenable to dying."

Published:  2005  Read: July 2018  Genre: Fiction