Sarah Bruce Kelly

When it comes to historical fiction, I'm a little bit of junkie. And like most readers, I have my favorite periods, which tend to land closer to Renaissance period, medieval, 12th century or even sometimes up until the 17th century, but I generally don't go much past that (except for maybe Prohibition-era America). So, I was going out on a limb a little bit with Vivaldi's Muse, a historical novel set in the 18th century around the career of one of the most amazing composers of all time.

Vivaldi's Muse tells the story of Annina Giro, a young woman who became the lifelong opera protegee of Vivaldi himself. From a young age, Annina has dreamed of being an opera singer, even if that means giving up a traditional life with a husband and children and leaving her family behind. At first installed as the student of another composer, Annina builds a unique relationship with Vivaldi, becoming something of a surrogate daughter. After surviving the perils of opera rivals, betrayal, scandal and romance, Annina finds herself at the center of a lucrative opera career -and the loving protegee of Vivaldi.

Author Sarah Bruce Kelly offers an unique exploration of the relationship between Annina and Vivaldi, and how it shaped both of their lives. Told in a strong and vivid style, Kelly does an incredible job of painting a fantastic and believable portrait of 18th century Venice with all the glitz and glamor of the stage, the politics of art and the scandals of the nobility.
Though it was fascinating to read about the relationship between Vivaldi and his protegee -and there are so many fascinating things going on here! -this book seemed a little anti-climactic to me. Sure, there was drama, there was scandal, but it seemed like the drama just wasn't strong enough to carry the entire book and it didn't feel "big" enough to be the culmination of the entire novel. The book seemed to just trail off at the end into a natural ending, but without hitting the right dramatic notes near the end.
Even though this kind of bugged me, it wasn't enough to break the entire novel. Vivaldi is still an enjoyable historical novel about a little-known historical figure that comes to life on each page.… (mer)

When I started reading Vivaldi's Muse all I knew about Antonio Vivaldi was that I adored his music. I had a tape - yes a tape! - that I used to play in my cassette player in my car on my commute home from work. (This was in the old days before CDs, before iPods. For those of you who don't know what a cassette tape is go search on Wikipedia.*sigh*) The music would both relax and invigorate me.

In this delightful novel the reader is introduced to Annina Girò, Vivaldi's protege. She met him at a very young age (9) and he wrote arias for her until his death - probably related to his asthma. I must admit that Annina was very, very annoying at times. I suspect that part of the time it was due to her age, part of the time it was due to her artistic temperament. There were times though, that I just wanted to slap her. Her devotion to Vivaldi was apparently complete - she had no other relationship with men while she was with him. He was a priest so it is not believed that they had a romantic affair. Who really knows?

The book was a fascinating look into the "music scene" of the time. Not to mention the cattiness of the opera world. It fascinates that a composer so well loved now was almost forgotten in his time. If not for someone gathering and saving his compositions all of the wonder that is Vivaldi would have been lost to the world. If you have never heard his music please give it a listen. There are sites where you can listen for free. It is well worth the time.

And read Vivaldi's Muse - you will enjoy that as well. It flows as beautifully as the music.… (mer)

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

Since birth, Mary Lou Williams has been marked with the "sign of the caul," an African-American tradition that suggests she has a "second sight" which allows her to see ghosts and spirits and gives her an amazing musical ability.

Although she loves playing her music, her mother doesn't approve of it and her neighbors shun and belittle her for it. Torn between her love of music and fitting in, Mary has trouble choosing.

Will she be able to soar above her problems and learn to express herself?

A well-researched, well-woven story based on Mary Lou Williams and her life. The characters seem true to history. The story is eye-opening to those who don't know much about this talented woman and her early life. Readers who like non-fiction, jazz, and fictionalized biographies will enjoy reading JAZZ GIRL.… (mer)