Harriet Constable’s work of historical fiction transports the reader to Venice in the 18th century. In her debut novel, she builds on the true story of Anna Maria della Pieta, a Venetian orphan and violin prodigy who studied under Antonio Vivaldi (think The Four Seasons), developing into his star musician. Along with the humans, the City of Venice is itself a character, and a source of physical, historical, and social context within this novel.

Anna Maria manages to avoid the usual destiny of babies born to her station, drowning in the city’s canals, and only knows life in the Pieta, an orphanage for children born of prostitutes. Anna and her classmates are given shelter, and singing and music lessons at an early age. The protagonist, a synesthete, is determined to be the best violinist. She is one of the talented few who plays in the celebrated orchestra, figlie di coro, that Vivaldi leads, earning money for the orphanage through the performances.

The stakes for Anna are high, as she devotes her life to Vivaldi and music.We follow Anna as she overcomes sexism, past trauma, and theft of her work to become a great composer. This novel is engaging, well-written, and compelling for musical and non-musical readers alike.

Constable weaves a rich tapestry of time and place in The Instrumentalist, embroidering the lives of Anna Maria, her friends, and Vivaldi on this woven atmospheric background to make the story come to life come alive. The author’s passion for music and the subject shines throughout the story.

Reading this compelling story while listening to Vivaldi’s fabulous compositions is a joy, and the audiobook is also wonderful, narrated by Emilia Clarke.