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

It's an Old Pennsylvania Custom - Edwin Valentine Mitchell

What a delightful bunch of stories on things done in Pennsylvania!  Written in 1957, it gave me insight into living in caves, travelling in Conestoga Wagons, Shoo-fly-Pie, and being fond of music.

Some instruments played were the dulcimer, the dudelack, the geik and fiddle - I'll have to look them up!

They told the story of how on the wagons the driver mostly rode the nigh wheel horse, i.e., the one next to the wagon pole on the left hand side.  In passing traffic coming from the opposite direction the driver could manage his horses and wagon better by keeping to the right-hand side of the road, and from this practice,  the book claims, came the universal American custom of keeping to the right!

It mentioned beliefs in witchcraft and powwow and the book The Long Lost Friend.  Another good read for getting familiar with where so many of my family grew up for generations.

Published: 1957  Read: April 2019  Genre: short story, history