“The Kingdom of Back” by Marie Lu. Published in 2020. Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart and Wolfgang “Woferl” Amadeus Mozart are the main characters of this fantastic book. This book genre is classified as Historical Fiction. Nannerl is older than Woferl, and is the older sister to him. Woferl is still a child in this book and is considered a prodigy on the Clavier (Piano). He would later become a famous composer. Nannerl feels jealousy towards her younger brother because he gets more attention from the Emperor and Empresses, due to his age. Nannerl also is trying to figure out society’s expectations for young women. Young women are not allowed to compose songs and they need to marry a husband. This is quite the opposite of what Nannerl wants to do, but if she were to be accepted by her family she would have to follow this. This represents the theme, Gender and Femininity. The author states, “You do not see her by the way she lights up the sky but by the way she steadies herself against the darkness, alone, at night, beside a window while the world sleeps around her.” (Lu, Marie. The Kingdom of Back. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Prologue) This helps explain how Nannerl feels toward society. I was very fond of this particular novel. It was intriguing and had many twists and turns throughout the entire book. The author was trying to show how society is unfair to women. They don’t get the same opportunities as men. I agree with this statement. Everyone should have an equal chance to achieve something great, no matter your gender. This book reminded me of the works of Rick Riordan. He is trying to be very inclusive with his new books to show that anyone can do anything. He tries to make everyone involved no matter what they identify as. This book just showed how cruel the world was back then. As of today, many things have changed as we evolved as a society. Women can now vote and do many more things than just being a housewife and mother. Make sure to take this book slow because it may provide a bit of a struggle. I highly recommend that you read this thought-provoking and engaging take on a young woman's struggle to find her place in a world that is not designed for her.
Avery H.
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