Mozart’s Sister by Nancy Moser
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
In Nancy Moser’s biographical novel Mozart’s Sister, the adventures, losses, family life, and love life of Maria Anna Mozart’s life are laid out for all to see. This is the second book I’ve read about dear Nannerl (the first being Mozart’s Sister by Rita Charbonnier). Funny that both books share the same title. That perfectly reflects the shadow Wolfgang Mozart cast over his very talented sister.
The interactions between the Mozart family felt much more personal in Moser’s book than in Charbonnier’s. Papa and Mama Mozart were very present in Moser’s novel. I loved that. Papa Mozart has always been labeled as the authoritative, strict father who pushed his children too far. But, in Moser’s novel, his humanity is ever-present. It was a nice change to Charbonnier’s novel. I also loved that Moser gave Mama Mozart a chance to shine. She is always a background character when people speak of the Mozart family. Moser showed a glimpse of the inner workings of Mama Mozart in a heartbreaking way. I felt so bad for poor Mama Mozart. The interactions between Nannerl and Wolfgang felt very realistic to how an older sister and younger brother would act. I like that Moser reflected Nannerl’s struggle with being jealous of Wolfgang. It humanized her even more to me. It’s normal to be envious of a sibling. It’s normal to want attention from a parent.
I loved that Moser wrote about the struggles each member of the Mozart family faced. Each person faced their own obstacles, whether being stuck in their brother’s shadow or escaping their controlling father. Every Mozart family member had a moment to express themselves. It did not feel biased. Every conversation between the Mozart family felt like it could have actually happened. That shows how much care Moser gave to shaping each character.
Nannerl’s transformation from a younger girl to a grown woman was written spectacularly. Moser displayed Nannerl’s battle with growing older and losing the title of Wunderkind in such an emotional way that I felt like I was experiencing this evolution with Nannerl. Something interesting about Moser’s novel was the use of religion throughout the book. Unlike Charbonnier’s novel, Nannerl is very in tune with her religious beliefs and God in this book. I didn’t mind that because Moser used Nannerl’s spirituality in a subtle way to drive her character arc. Nannerl used her religion to find peace. This made perfect sense for the novel because religion held much power over Europe then.
Regarding Nannerl’s love life, I wish there were more interactions between Captain Franz d’Ippold and Nannerl! I loved their relationship. It felt organic. It felt like a real love story was brewing. The longing was ever present, which took hold of my heartstrings. However, Moser could have expressed Nannerl’s agony over not being allowed to marry Franz.
Overall, this was an excellent historical fiction novel with great historical accuracy. Moser definitely did her due diligence while researching the life of Nannerl Mozart. When it comes to Charbonnier’s Mozart’s Sister or Moser’s Mozart’s Sister…
I choose Moser’s!
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