The historical adult debut novel by # 1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate, The Orphan’s Song is a sweeping love story about family and music–and the secrets each hold–that follows the intertwined fates of two Venetian orphans.“A tangled knot of betrayal and love, lies and redemption. Marvelous.” –Fiona Davis, author of The AddressA song brought them together.A secret will tear them … song brought them together.
A secret will tear them apart.
Venice, 1736. When fate brings Violetta and Mino together on the roof of the Hospital of the Incurables, they form a connection that will change their lives forever. Both are orphans at the Incurables, dreaming of escape. But when the resident Maestro notices Violetta’s voice, she is selected for the Incurables’ world famous coro, and must sign an oath never to sing beyond its church doors.
After a declaration of love ends in heartbreak, Mino flees the Incurables in search of his family. Known as the “city of masks,” Venice is full of secrets, and Mino is certain one will lead to his long-lost mother. Without him, the walls close in on Violetta and she begins a dangerous and forbidden nightlife, hoping her voice can secure her freedom. But neither finds what they are looking for, until a haunting memory Violetta has suppressed since childhood leads them to a shocking confrontation.
Vibrant with the glamour and beauty of Venice at its zenith, The Orphan’s Song takes us on a breathtaking journey of passion, heartbreak, and betrayal before it crescendos to an unforgettable ending, a celebration of the enduring nature and transformative power of love.
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Lauren Kate mesmerizes in a tale that brilliantly recreates 1700s Venice — a city of high-stakes intrigue and earthly delights — where a pair of abandoned children find solace in music and each other. I was swept along as their lives formed a tangled knot of betrayal and love, lies, and redemption. Marvelous.
In a gorgeous ode to eighteenth-century Venice, Lauren Kate uncovers the intriguing, little-known origin of the era’s most famous Baroque musicians in The Orphan’s Song, in a tale brimming with love, deception, and ultimately, surprising truth.
Oh my, I can’t say enough about how much I loved this book. Very informative about the time period in Venice and such great characters. Could not put it down and stayed up late reading.
This book was a departure from the type of book I usually read. This book was a historical fiction novel set in Vienna in the 1700s. Violetta is an orphan at The Incurables orphanage. She is studying to be a lead singer in the caro (choir). Violetta longs to live outside of the gates of the orphanage. One night, when only 5 or 6, gazing out her window, Violetta sees a young mother put her son into the wheel leading into the orphanage. Violetta is aghast at a mother leaving her son. Violetta vows that she will never become a mother. She studies the woman and commits her to memory. The woman is softly singing a song which Violetta never forgets. Years later, Violetta is up on the roof of the orphanage. Mino, a boy from the orphanage comes to the roof as well. Violetta recognizes that Mino is the boy that was abandoned years ago. They begin a friendship. Their friendship grows to love. However, their love is overshadowed by the fear that Violetta harbors that she would abandon a child. Through a series of missteps, Mino and Violetta lose each other. Life goes on, until one day,Violetta learns the truth about Mino’s parents. She has to find him and tell him.
This is a story of heartache, secrets, and redemption.
I enjoyed the story. However, there were too many coincidences in the book for it to be considered great. It was a relatively quick read. I would read more from this author.
#TheOrphansSong #LaurenKate
The story of two orphans who only want to know what else life has in store for them in the future and dreaming of all that they will see in the world. Violetta knows no life other than that of singing and working toward being part of the famous coro with the Incurables’. Mino had a mother, she left him a token, but doesn’t have any real memories of her.
Lauren Kate wrote a book where stories entwined, characters were pulled together or pushed apart by forces beyond their control, and history was amazing. I felt like I was walking the streets with Lettie and Mino. I could see the people they were seeing, feel the air blowing around me, and hear the amazing sounds they were experiencing. The book came to life as I fell into the world of Venice.
The Orphan’s Song plunges the reader into the streets and canals of eighteenth-century Venice, where the world of Carnivale roils with music, love, and intrigue. Lauren Kate is a masterful storyteller, with a stunning command of her rich historical material and the ability to draw forth the beautiful and intimate songs of the human heart.
I’m not gonna lie. I am a huge fan of Lauren Kate’s young adult books and totally loved her Fallen Series. So, when I heard that Lauren Kate was not only dipping her toes in Adult Fiction, but Historical Romance, I just knew I had to get my hands on this book.
The Orphan’s Song is set in 1736 Venice. On the rooftop of the Hospital for Incurables, fate has brought together Violetta & Mino. Both being orphans with big dreams and holes in their hearts. They form an unbreakable bond. Milo & Violetta want nothing more than a bright future that they have been denied. Mino longs to escape and build the life he’s always dreamed of, but Violetta wants nothing more than to sing. Despite the love that they built and the bond that they share, life has taken them on two different paths. Both are desperate to make their dreams come true, but their dreams couldn’t be more different than their reality….
The Orphan’s Song was a truly enchanting story. It’s filled with rich history, romance, and intrigue. Milo & Violetta’s story pulls you in instantly and consumes you. Milo & Violetta’s journey is complicated and filled with lots of ups and downs. A song might have brought them together, but life tore them apart. They were set on two different paths, forever changing their lives. That is until fate decides once again to reunite these two young lovers.
As someone who struggles with historical romance/fiction, I really loved being able to lose myself in this story and these characters. Lauren Kate has created a truly unique and intriguing story that will keep you glued to the pages. You will get swept up in the music, and the scenery. I enjoyed everything about this story, from beginning to end and am so glad I decided to take a chance on this book.
Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Books, and Lauren Kate for providing an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it.
Summary:
In 18th century Venice, orphans have few options. In the orphanage known as the Incurables, a young boy and girl meet secretly and bond over their mutual love of music and dreams of escape. Violetta, a gifted singer, is chosen for the widely-renowned coro. But she must sign a pledge that she will never sing outside the church. This chafes at her independent spirit and the more deeply she longs to sing on the outside. A chance comes and she embarks on a dangerous double life.
She met Mino as a young teen. Also an orphan, Mino has taught himself to play violin. As you might imagine, the two are drawn to each other because of their mutual love of music. He has a “token” of the mother who abandoned him as at the orphanage and dreams of reuniting with her. He also dreams of Violetta. But after his proposal goes wrong, he goes to search for his mother.
Will either find the freedom and love they long for?
My thoughts:
What worked for me:
1. The love between Violetta and Mino
The young people fall in love. Predictable. They are instantly drawn to one another. Standard fare in fiction. But what makes their romance believable is how Kate uses their mutual passion for music to draw them together. Both Violetta and Mino are passionate about creating music. (In real life, I’ve noticed that when one person is musically gifted, their romantic partner is, too.) It’s not insta-love, but it is an insta-bond: both are orphans, both love music, both are relatively ignorant of the world outside the Incurables. Love blossoms during their secret meetings.
It’s surprising that both are capable of loving other people. But in my opinion, that’s realistic, too. Sometimes lovers part ways and move on, learning to love other people. I think Mino in particular grew as a person through the influence of Ana, and I appreciated that he had the strength of character to embrace their relationship.
2. The pace
This isn’t historical mystery or suspense. I expected the story to unfold slowly and in one sense, it did. Things happen gradually; there’s not a lot of “big” action moments. (If you’re looking for guns and bombs and knifes, you’ll have to look elsewhere.) But the narrative moves forward smoothly, like a gondola steered along the Venetian canals by an experienced gondolier (in this case, the author!): quickly enough to make the story move forward, slowly enough to savor the sights of beautiful Venice and its mysterious masked citizens.
3. The characters
Mino and Violetta are both richly drawn characters. They have their strengths and weaknesses. I wish Kate had explored some of the secondary characters (like Laura, Violetta’s best friend, or Carlos and Ana) in more depth.There’s a great canine character, though: Sprezz makes a terrific companion for Mino at his lowest points and spurs him on to continue living when he despairs.
What didn’t work for me:
At several points, the plot hinged on coincidental meetings. Without giving away any of the plot, I’ll just say that it’s very convenient for two people to want to see each other to accidentally meet on a bridge. It’s possibly too convenient. After all, how many bridges are there in Venice? And they simply happened to be on the same one at the same time?
A second weakness involves the fate of Mino’s mother. Violetta finds a clue as to what happened to his long-gone mother and from there, comes to a conclusion that isn’t completely logical. It’s feasible, yes, but it’s a big step from the known facts to her conclusion. It’s also a bit strange that Mino acts upon her conclusion without much thought about the consequences or further investigation. (Though given his emotionally distraught state, that’s believable.)
Final Impression:
With gorgeous writing and great characters, this book evokes Venice at its high point. Some weak spots but a solid historical novel.
This review also appears on Goodreads and my personal blog.