While studying under Vivaldi, three girls in a Venice orphanage forge
their own notions of love in a sensuous, engrossing novel told in three
narrative voices.
It is a longing and search for love that motivates three girls living in
the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage renowned for its extraordinary
musical program. But for Rosalba, Anetta, and Luisa, the love they seek
is not where they expect to find it. Set in the early 1700s in the heart
of Venice, this remarkable novel deftly weaves the history of Antonio
Vivaldi's early musical career into the lives of three young women who
excel in voice and instrument. Under the composer's tutelage and care,
the orphans find expression, sustenance, and passion. But can the
sheltered life of the orphanage prepare them for the unthinkable dangers
outside its walls?