The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu is a historical fantasy novel inspired by the famous composer Mozart and his sister Maria, otherwise known as Nannerl. Originally released on March 3, 2020, The Kingdom of Back is Marie Lu’s first standalone novel, though she has published five book series–including a set of graphic novels. This novel stands apart from anything else Lu has written, but starting off with a forgotten woman in history was an inspired choice, especially when the woman in question was forgotten in favor of a man.
As a woman in eighteenth-century Europe, Nannerl faces limitations on her dreams of being remembered forever, despite being just as talented, or even more so than her younger brother.
Once her brother’s gift for composition was discovered, his talent was sought out by many with deep pockets who wanted to see the young prodigy in action. In an effort to bring fame and fortune to their family, their father allowed Nannerl to perform alongside her brother until she is of marriageable age. Despite her talent and passion for composition, she is overshadowed by her brother and begins losing hope of ever being remembered–that is until a mysterious stranger offers her a deal. Throughout the novel, both Nannerl and her brother visit a mystical land–in which the stranger who can make their dreams come true resides. However, there is always a price, and the price for their dreams may not be worth it.
As someone who loves learning about forgotten women in history, this story had me hooked, and inspired me to do some research into the real Maria. The ending of the story and the unresolved storyline between Nannerl and a strange boy she comes across did leave me disappointed; however, it was unfortunately a realistic reflection of the life Maria ends up living. A life that unfortunately we know very little about. You may end the book with some questions, but that’s what happens when someone’s story is erased from history. Overall, I recommend this book for anyone who loves history for the anthropology of it all, and I encourage anyone who chooses to pick up this book to do a little research into the life of Maria Anna Mozart. •