Review Detail

The Story:
Emilia is a young woman in Milan who has become somewhat of a musical prodigy. She's a composer as well as being adept at the harpsichord. She's also the second oldest daughter in a family with many kids. Her father has dedicated his life to gaining a noble title and wants to marry two of his daughters to noblemen. The problem? Emilia's older sister desires to become and nun and Emilia herself has already found the man she wants to marry and he has nothing to his name. This is the story of two sister navigating a world in which women weren't supposed to have minds of their own.

What I liked:
I learned so much in this story about music and like in 18th century Milan. It was a fascinating read. The writing flows easily and Emilia is such a strong, wonderful character. She's willing to sacrifice her own happiness for that of her sister. She's endearing and brave. It was a pleasure to read about her.

What was just okay:
The book is young. Much younger than I'd imagined when seeing the cover. Emilia is 13 when the story begins, putting it almost in to MG territory, yet she speaks as if she's much older. It was sort of an odd disconnect.

Final Verdict:
This story is a pleasure to read. There's no lack of characters to root for or interesting scenes to lose yourself in.