The Instrumentalist

Music, intoxication, and betrayal combine in this 'immersive, impassioned' (The Guardian) debut novel inspired by the true story of Anna Maria della Piet , a Venetian orphan and violin prodigy who studied under Antonio Vivaldi and ultimately became his star musician--and his biggest muse. 'The Instrumentalist is more than a history lesson--with this novel, Constable has crafted an engrossing tale about an unexpected coup de musique.' --The New York Times Anna Maria della Piet was destined to drown in one of Venice's canals. Instead, she became the greatest violinist of the 18th century. Anna Maria has only known life inside the Piet , an orphanage for children born of prostitutes. But the girls of the Piet are lucky in a sense: most babies born of their station were drowned in the city's canals. And despite the strict rules, the girls are given singing and music lessons from an early age. The most promising musicians have the chance to escape the fate of the rest: forced marriage to