The Musician's Daughter

It's 18th century in Vienna, Austria. Theresa Maria's father is a violinist and, on Christmas Eve, he is brought home and has been murdered. Although her mother would like to get her married (with the help of her rich uncle, who disowned his sister - Theresa Maria's mother), Theresa Maria insists on trying to find out who killed her father. This brings her into contact with gypsies, rich unscrupulous men, other musicians, and more, and sends her on a bit of an “adventure” (without giving too much away!).

I really enjoyed this. It moved fast and there was plenty going on to keep me interested. I read another novel a number of years back where gypsies were featured prominently, and I'd hoped to read more on them, but really haven't, so show more this was fun from that aspect, as well. show less

It's Christmas Eve in 18th century Vienna and 15-year-old Theresa Schurman's father, a musician in the prince's orchestra under the direction of Franz Joseph Haydn, is carried home by fellow musicians -- dead. As Theresa tries to untangle the mysterious threads surrounding the murder of her father, she uncovers a plot to stifle reforms for Hungarian serfs and Romanies. This book seems like the type of book I would have loved at about age 12 or 13, which is pretty close to the target age for this book's audience. Reading the book as an adult, it was less appealing, although still enjoyable. I’m not sure exactly what it was, but the book was not really as enthralling as it should be considering the mysterious and action aspects. Despite show more being a first person narrator, Theresa didn’t really come alive for me. Some of the other characters also could have been better developed. My biggest complaint is that the ending, which seemed set on tying up minor lose ends, left a couple of major issues up in the air. The book would most appeal to those interested in mysteries, historical fiction, or, to a lesser extent, music. Just don’t read the book flap before reading the book -- it oversells the book and leads you to expect something more out of this work. show less

Fifteen-year-old Theresa has just received the worst news of her life: her father, a musician in Haydn's orchestra in 18th century Vienna, is dead and his most valuable possession, his violin, is missing. Theresa is sure that her father has been the victim of foul play, and despite her mother's determination that their next step must be to marry Theresa off, Theresa starts unraveling the mystery as best she can. But as Theresa investigates she learns some unsettling facts about her father and his involvement with a camp of Gypsies and she finds herself drawn into more and more dangerous situations. She also finds herself employed by Haydn as a music scribe; Haydn's failing vision makes it impossible for him to record the music in his show more head accurately, Theresa has the musical training from her father that qualifies her for the job, and Haydn knows her family needs the money. Caught up in a whirl of intrigue and court politics that expands to include members of Theresa's family and even Haydn himself, Theresa must find a way to keep everyone safe. If she's lucky, maybe she'll also find a little romance along the way and, more importantly, maybe she'll find the strength to determine her own path rather than following the one set out by her mother.

I think Dunlap was a little over-ambitious here - there's just a lot she's trying to squeeze in and the mish-mosh is less than successful. You've got romance, mystery, historical fiction, multiple social issues, music, and court politics. I felt like I never really got a good read on the intended tone of the book - if this was supposed to be realistic style historical fiction, it's awfully far-fetched, if it was supposed to be the type of book where you just suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride, the serious tone in places and the emphasis on the social issues seem a little out of place. The descriptions of the brutal justice system of 18th century Vienna as well as the depiction of Theresa's lecherous uncle keep this at junior high level or above. The ending is clearly set up for at least one sequel, possibly more - since this is Dunlap's first book for younger readers, maybe she's still learning how to adjust and her next one will strike a better balance. show less

Susanne Dunlap's "The Musician's Daughter" tells the story of 15 year old Theresa, who--after the mysterious murder of her father--finds herself removed from the everyday routines of a young lady and thrust into a world of court politics, music and political intrigue. As she helps to solve the mystery of her father's murder, Theresa finds her true loves in life, music, family, and a young musician/wronged nobleman named Zoltan. The stakes are high as Theresa risks everything to help solve her father's murder and the reader is left wondering whether it will all be worthwhile in the end.

I chose to read Dunlap's novel before I realized it was considered young adult fiction--I thought the plot sounded interesting and I was impressed with show more Dunlap's background as a historian, so I thought the novel would be good. In my opinion, this book did not read like YA fiction--the language is mature and the historical context is rich--even if it does have a teen appropriate storyline.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book--it was probably the best YA fiction i've read in years. The pacing is good, the narrative kept me interested and the characters are well developed. I would recommend this book to mature teenage readers looking for good historical fiction, or even adult readers that are interested in the time period. show less

I read "The Musician's Daughter" by Susanne Dunlap. This book is an absolutely amazing book! It's full of adventure and romance and of course, music. I suggest this book to anyone who plays a musical instrument, especially string players. It shows that no matter what your background is, we can all find one thing in common... music. Some people truly may not be who you expect them to be, they could be murderers or incredible musicians, you can’t always be sure they are who they say they are. Theresa learns this by finding out horrible things about her uncle, who her mother praises, and then finding out that Gypsies aren’t as bad as everyone thinks. Theresa, who wishes to be a violinist like her father, is stuck with a low viola, but show more doesn't mind because music is music, no matter what instrument it comes from. I guess I loved this book so much because of the fact that I've played viola for about 5 years, and I understand what she talks about when she explains how she feels when she practices. There is so much action and drama I found it hard to put the book down from the moment I started reading it.

-DeAnna Patrisha Ballou show less

I heartily recommend this YA novel. The historical and musical information are clearly well-researched and add to the depth of the story. The pace of the plot, the twists and turns, the mystery and the (slight) romance are ultimately secondary to the emotional center of Theresa, the plucky teenage heroine. Amidst a glut of YA novels that are overly dark, or angsty, or fluffy, or contrived, "The Musician's Daughter" is an enjoyable,engaging,and enlightening read.

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

Christmas Eve is supposed to be a happy time, but Theresa will remember it as the night her father was murdered and his violin stolen.

A musician in her own right, Theresa is drawn into her father's world and is determined to discover the truth about his death.

Her search uncovers secrets about her father and the musician's world; secrets that lead her into dangerous circles. She isn't sure who she can trust as her investigation brings her into the complex but glamorous court of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy.

Dunlap weaves historical figures like Franz Joseph Haydn, Mozart, and others into this fictional tale with ease. Her prose sang me into eighteenth-century Vienna and into Theresa's life with show more a musical journey I'll never forget.

THE MUSICIAN'S DAUGHTER strikes a chord in the reader's heart and holds it to the end. show less