Inspired by Vivaldi’ s Four Seasons this book tells the story of Laura, a mute orphan. She arrives through the baby hatch of an orphanage in Venice, just like all the other orphans who inhabit the place. Her life is fairly miserable until Fr Antonio discovers her gift for music and invites her to play in his orchestra.
Fr Antonio doesn’t just give the girls musical instruments and music lessons, he also composes music which allows as many girls as possible to play solos and have a chance to shine. He also leads Laura to the source of her “Heartsong”.
This is a uniquely structured book because its style is very unusual; the pace it is written in is almost musical. The thoughts and emotions of Laura are intertwined together with daily events in her life giving the book an interesting rhythm. The language seems to be more like poetry than prose and the story is bursting with metaphors. I particularly liked this:
The autumn sun was setting. Its blood spilled and stained the water.
I think this book would appeal to anyone who enjoys music or who is studying a musical instrument because it is fascinating to see how listening to a piece of music can inspire an author. This book is also full of breath- taking illustrations which really add to the dreamy feel of the story.
-
Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
