In Mozart's Shadow: His Sister's Story

Nannerl Mozart was considered a musical prodigy - until her genius little brother, Wolfgang, took over the limelight. While Nannerl still loves to play and perform, her career slowly falls by the wayside and she sinks deeper and deeper into Mozart's shadow.

Nannerl's story was emotionally interesting - her attempts at gaining independence from her domineering father, but her dependency on familial affection and approval are likely to resonate well with early teens. Her love of music and thwarted ambition are well-portrayed and the most interesting parts of the novel. Given that the hook of the novel is Wolfgang, it would have been nice to see more of his career as he grew up - and his continued relationship with Nannerl. That said, the show more historical evidence probably suggests that the bond between the siblings grew weaker as they grew apart in adolescence.

The life of Nannerl Mozart was a sad one despite her early successes: thwarted love, thwarted career, and a life spent largely isolated from others - but Carolyn Meyer manages to show us an inner strength and a means of escape from her troubles through music. I loved the descriptions of music as a symbol of the Mozart's siblings affection as well as its use as a necessary emotional outlet. It certainly made me wish I knew how to play an instrument to provide that kind of catharsis.

I really enjoy reading about the lives and works of artists. I've recently branched out into reading about musicians, but it's more difficult for me as I've had relatively little exposure to music (either playing it or listening to anything classical). Because of that, I would have liked to have had a specific piece highlighted as having special significance for Nannerl - something I could have sought out and related to the story. If someone with greater Mozart knowledge has a suggestion, please let me know!

I would classify this book as middle-grade - it covers quite a long time span with key scenes in detail, but I think the emotions portrayed and the amount of emotional depth in the story are most likely to appeal to younger teens rather than older teens. show less

Young Nannerl Mozart, like her younger brother Wolfgang Mozart, has been a talented musician since the time she was a small child. And it is from a young age that she is forced by an unloving and overbearing father to continuously give up her hopes and dreams for the sake of her brother. As a little girl she was allowed to perform by her father, who wanted to show off his children as child prodigies, but even then, she knew he preferred her brother.

When she is too old to be a child prodigy any longer, Nannerl must suffer and sacrifice even more due to the demands of her father, who is determined to put all his efforts into promoting his son’s career. Because she is a girl, she cannot become a famous musician, despite her great talent, show more and because of her father, she is prevented from studying, pursuing a position at court, or marrying the man of her choosing. Though she loves her brother, she becomes increasingly distant from him due to his career and her own unhappiness at the loss of all her dreams.

In Mozart’s Shadow is another excellent historical novel from the talented Carolyn Meyer. Once again she takes a young woman from the pages of history and brings her to life with all her feelings, hopes, and dreams. Nannerl Mozart was a talented young woman forced to sacrifice so much for her family, and hopefully this and other books about her will give her some of the fame she rightfully deserved in her own lifetime but was prevented from achieving because of her gender and the demands of her family. show less

Reviewed by Harmony for TeensReadToo.com

We all know about Wolfgang Mozart, the wonderfully talented musician, but what many of us don't know is that his older sister, Nannerl, was also incredibly talented. She was, in the beginning, thought of as her brother's equivalent. They played together in concerts, sometimes in front of royalty, making money for their family. But soon, she was overshadowed by her brother, but that didn't stop her from playing.

She wanted, more than anything, to go to a prestigious music school -- but her father would not allow it and forced her to stay in boring Salzburg with her mother. IN MOZART'S SHADOW follows Nannerl from the time she and her brother begin playing throughout her entire life.

To be honest, the show more book dragged a bit at the beginning, but after the first fifty pages or so I felt myself being dragged into the world of Nannerl and her family. Her story is both heartbreaking and easy to relate to. Though she lived in a completely different time and led a much different life, I could feel myself understanding her actions and cheering her on. The writing was great and the voice was true to the characters, who were all very realistic.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes reading historical fiction or who admires the Mozart family. show less