The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable

The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable

Read by Emilia Clarke

10 hours, 55 minutes

Published August 2024 by Simon and Schuster

Publisher's Summary: 

Anna Maria della Pietà 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 Pietà, an orphanage for children born of prostitutes. But the girls of the Pietà 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 anyone who will have them.

Anna Maria is determined to be the best violinist there is-and whatever Anna Maria sets out to do, she achieves. After all, the stakes for Anna could not be higher. But it is 1704 and she is a girl. The pursuit of her ambition will test everything she holds dear, especially when it becomes clear that her instructor, Antonio Vivaldi, will teach Anna everything he knows-but not without taking something in return.

From the opulent palaces of Venice to its mud-licked canals, The Instrumentalist is a “searing portrait of ambition and betrayal” (Elizabeth MacNeal, author of The Doll Factory). It is the story of one woman's irrepressible ambition and rise to the top. It is also the story of the orphans of Venice who overcame destitution and abuse to make music, and whose contributions to some of the most important works of classical music, including “The Four Seasons,” have been overlooked for too long.

My Thoughts: 

I first heard about this book last month when some friends and I attended the Omaha Public Library's annual Book Bash. Historical fiction that focuses on classical music, particularly Vivaldi? Count me in! I requested the audiobook while I was still at the event. 

Let's get the one thing that kept me from liking this book as much as I wanted to out of the way. It was, as is so often the case, a matter of editing. I felt like there was quite a bit of repetition in the book and some things that could easily have been left out with no loss to the story. Oh, and one other thing: since this was an audiobook, I really wish there would have been more actual music involved. 

And now the good. It's not surprising to so often pick up books that teach us about something in history we know nothing about; even the most well educated historians don't know everything. But I'm always excited to read a book showcasing women making the most of their power, even in times and places where they had so little of it. 

Anna Maria della Pietà was a real person, who actually did grow up in the Pieta, study under Vivaldi and have some of his compositions written especially for her, and become a maestra. The Pieta was a real place where orphans were taken in and raised to be useful to society. The girls with musical talent were encouraged and the best of them placed in the figlie di coro. The figlie was widely admired and the members received extravagant gifts as well as brining in funds for the orphanage. 

 Constable takes that history and gives Anna Maria a beginning and a full life, filled with friends, sadness, betrayal, immense talent and even greater ambition. My beloved Vivaldi doesn't come off looking too good, but I was ok with that, given that it meant that Anna Maria could rise up and bring along with other girls with her. As in real life, Anna Maria first shows her talent at the age of eight, so what we see is a young girl desperate to use that talent to make something of herself while being too young to see how she is hurting herself (and others) even as she ascends in the figlie. The ending worked perfectly for me, with happiness for Anna Maria while still recognizing the limitations on her life and the other women. 

Ripper by Isabel Allende

Ripper by Isabel Allende

Read by Edoardo Ballerina

14 hours, 28 minutes

Published January 2014 by HarperCollins

Publisher's Summary: 

The Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, have always had each other. Yet, while their bond is strong, mother and daughter are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian. Long divorced from Amanda's father, she's reluctant to settle down with either of the men who want her-Alan, the wealthy scion of one of San Francisco's elite families, and Ryan, an enigmatic, scarred former Navy SEAL.

While her mom looks for the good in people, Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature, like her father, the SFPD's Deputy Chief of Homicide. Brilliant and introverted, the MIT-bound high school senior is a natural-born sleuth addicted to crime novels and Ripper, the online mystery game she plays with her beloved grandfather and friends around the world.

When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. Could her mother's disappearance be linked to the serial killer? Now, with her mother's life on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she's ever faced before it's too late.

My Thoughts: 

I used to devour Isabel Allende books, starting with The House of the Spirits, more than forty years ago. Her story telling was so good that I accepted the magical realism of it. It's been years now since I read any of Allende's works (not sure why) so when I was looking for something to listen to recently and this came up, I decided it was time to get back to her. 

I'm sorry to say that this one was a disappointment. Despite the publisher's pitch that this is a fast-paced book, it dragged for me, focusing so much on introducing so many people in Indiana's life and less on Amanda's and her friends' investigation into the recent murders in San Francisco. Allende asks readers to believe that a deputy chief of homocide would be willing to release details of murder investigations to his former father-in-law and his daughter, which I never bought into. We were at least two thirds of the way through the book before things finally really started to pick up and I became truly interested in finding out how this would play out. You knew the murderer was going to be someone we'd been introduced to, but I'll give Allende due credit for giving that reveal a real twist I was not expecting. In the end, all of those people finally came together but I still felt like too much time had been spent on fleshing them out. 

Edoardo Ballerini, as always, does a fabulous job with this one and was a real saving grace to keep me listening. I could recommend a lot of Allende's books to you; unfortunately, this isn't one of them. 

Life: It Goes On - September 14

Happy Sunday! Wow, how are we already half way through September?! Also, how did I not manage (again!) to get a single book review posted. I am happy to say that I've been reading, although I must say that most of what I've been reading would be now higher on a grading scare than a C. Still, that hasn't killed by desire to read and I've been taking advantage of some nights on my own to turn off the tv and just read.  

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished The Instrumentalist and started Gabrielle Stanley Blair's Ejaculate Responsibly and Javier Zamora's Solito which is the Omaha Reads selection for 2025 and my book club's selection for this month. 

Watched: Lots of sports and not much else. 

Read: I finished Ruth Ware's latest, The Woman In Suite 11 and started Charlotte McConaghy's Wild Dark Shore. I continue to read Paul Harding's Enon when I'm not carrying a physical book with me. Lately, though, I find I'm more likely to prefer having a real book in my hands. 

Made: Enchiladas with a mole sauce, our usual Monday pasta with fresh tomato and basil, and a BLT salad. 

Enjoyed: Two things this week: 1) Mini-him and I went to see the movie version of Hamilton Wednesday. I am truly blessed to have children that have similar interests and enjoying doing things together. Last night, as part of Omaha Restaurant Week, we went with friends to Dolomiti for their special prix fixe dinner. Started rough, thanks to a very loud party table, but once they left, we enjoyed delicious food and excellent company. The owner even gave us starts of the sourdough they use to make their pizza crust! 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: A little getaway. 

Thinking About: The events of this past week and hoping that the initial reactions from it calm down before we can't come back from the aftermath. 

Feeling: I'm feeling a little burnt out from work lately. At some point in this calendar year, I'm supposed to be taking a full week off and I'm thinking I need to schedule that sooner, rather than later. 

Looking forward to: Book club on Tuesday and meeting my great-niece for the first time this coming weekend (and seeing her brother, parents and grandparents, too!). 

Question of the week: Do you like to try new things at restaurants or do you prefer to stick with the tried and true, knowing you'll enjoy what you get?

Life: It Goes On - September 7

Happy Sunday! Going to make this short because I'm only finally getting it written just before bedtime. I can't say I've been too busy to do it; just wanted to get a pic of my new auction "win" in its new home and I had to get dressed before I could go outside to do that. If you've been reading this for very long, you know how much I like to spend weekend days in my pajamas and since I couldn't do that yesterday, I was determined to do it today. 

We've had a lovely, cool and dry weekend here so doors and windows have been thrown open and we spent a lot of time outdoors. Yesterday we went to Lincoln to pick up my auction item and to visit family. Because they live downtown, we also got to walk around downtown Lincoln, soaking up the excitement of the first home game of the season, even if it was six hours before it started.  Had to stop on our way home and pick up some Baker's chocolates at the factory store. Did we need two pounds of chocolates? No. Did we actually consider buying a third flavor? Yes. But like the grownups we are, we used restraint. 

Are you old enough to remember
when milk was delivered to your 
house and put in these boxes? I 
was so nostalgic about this when 
I say it on the auction. It even 
has the little clip where the wife
would put her order 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: Still listening to Harriet Constable's The Instrumentalist. I'm afraid it's a little repetitive but otherwise, it's an interesting story based on a real person. 

Watched: Lots of football (including our Husker's first shutout in 16 years), three volleyball matches, and some episodes of Only Murders In The Building. 

Read: Still reading Rachel Hawkin's The Woman in Suite 11. 

Made: We used the leftovers from the taco bar in a lot of ways, including old-school taco salad with Catalina dressing. Yesterday for game watching I made a cream cheese mixture with dried beef and chopped dill pickles that we spread on mini-bagels. Tonight I put together a ham, broccoli, and potato casserole we'll toss in the oven for dinner tomorrow. Later this week we'll have onion sandwich, based on a recommendation from BG's brother and SIL. I'd be as skeptical as you are right now if it had come so highly recommended by two people who know good food. 

Enjoyed: Dinner with friends Friday - I was jonesing for poutine and they all humored me. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: My office has once again become a dumping ground so I need to get up there and work on that. Then I'm hoping to get out to the garage now that's it's cool enough to work out there. 

Thinking About: A couple of long weekends we have coming up. I can't wait! 

Feeling: Tired. I never get sick when I get my Covid vaccine, but it always makes me really tired for a day or two. Got it yesterday so I'm hoping tomorrow is better. 

Looking forward to: Miss H is coming up for a cleaning job this week so we'll have her with us one night. The next night Mini-him and I are going to see Hamilton in the theater. Saturday we're going out to eat with friends to a new-to-most-of-us place as part of Omaha Restaurant Week. 

Question of the week: Do you go to auctions, estate sales, or garage sales? Have you ever done an online auction or bought something off of Facebook Marketplace? I'm a little addicted these days, even if I don't buy much (because it's kind of hard to justify it while at the same time trying to get rid of stuff). 

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict

Read by Alana Kerr Collins

9 hours, 1 minute

Published October 2018 by Source Landmark

Publisher's Summary: 

From the author of The Other Einstein, the mesmerizing tale of what kind of woman could have inspired an American dynasty.

Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She's not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh's grandest households. She's a poor farmer's daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the other woman with the same name has vanished, and pretending to be her just might get Clara some money to send back home.

If she can keep up the ruse, that is. Serving as a lady's maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie requires skills he doesn't have, answering to an icy mistress who rules her sons and her domain with an iron fist. What Clara does have is a resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for, coupled with an uncanny understanding of business, and Andrew begins to rely on her. But Clara can't let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future -- and her family's.

With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie's Maid tells the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie's transformation from ruthless industrialist into the world's first true philanthropist.

My Thoughts: 

A couple of months ago I was texting with a friend I've known and loved since I was 19 years old. She happened to mention that she was reading the last book by Marie Benedict that her local library had available and that she loved Benedict's books. Two things: 1) after more than 40 years of knowing this woman, I had no idea she was a reader (how in the world has that NEVER come up?!); and 2) if she loves this author so much, I need to read something by her, preferably an audiobook since I was just finishing one up. So I grabbed up this one, eager to find out if I would feel the same way about Benedict and to see what the book could teach me about a man whose generosity funded hundreds of libraries across the country. 

As do most historical fictions books I read, this way had me heading to the internet to find out how much truth there was to this story. In point of fact, not much other than the fact that Andrew Carnegie was, himself, an immigrant that came to this country destitute only to become one of the richest men in the world. He was known to be ruthless in business, but more generous in his personal life; still, historians have long wondered what caused him to become such a philanthropist in later life. Benedict has taken her own family's history as immigrants and woven it into Carnegie's life to try to explain that change. It's an interesting idea. 

There's a lot to be said for the socioeconomic portrait Benedict paints of this time in U.S. history and the life of the poor in Pittsburgh at that time, tying in some Irish history as well and I enjoyed those parts of the book. Overall, though, I felt like Benedict was trying to pull too much into her story and things got a little dramatic at times. The fact that our Clara Kelley needed to have her backstory to give us that history that Benedict wanted to give, but would never have been able to work in the capacity in the Carnegie household that she held had she merely applied for the job made for much more drama. Benedict also pulls in a story about the former slave head cook's missing family is another example of pulling in more drama than was necessary to tell the story. But the drama ended as soon as Clara had to leave the Carnegie household and the ending of the book fell flat for me. 

Would it make my top ten list at the end of the year? No. But it was well read and offered enough to be a solid read. It could make a good book club choice, as well. 

The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell

The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell

224 pages

Published October 2003 by Simon and Schuster

Publisher's Summary: 

In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell travels through the American past and in doing so ponders a number of curious questions: Why is she happiest when visiting the sites of bloody struggles like Salem or Gettysburg? Why do people always inappropriately compare themselves to Rosa Parks? Why is a bad life in sunny California so much worse than a bad life anywhere else? What is it about the Zen of foul shots? And, in the title piece, why must doubt and internal arguments haunt the sleepless nights of the true patriot?

Her essays confront a wide range of subjects, themes, icons, and historical moments: Ike, Teddy Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton; Canadian Mounties and German filmmakers; Tom Cruise and Buffy the Vampire Slayer; twins and nerds; the Gettysburg Address, the State of the Union, and George W. Bush's inauguration. 

The result is a teeming and engrossing book, capturing Vowell's memorable wit and her keen social commentary.

My Thoughts: 

Number 1 - let's give me a pat on the back for finally reading a book off of my own bookshelves. 

Number 2 - this is the fourth book by Vowell that I've read and reviewed so I think it goes without saying that I'm a fan, but I'll say it anyway. Because this book did not disappoint. 

Vowell is both a political and historical nerd who doesn't even own rose-colored glasses when it comes to looking at the ways of the United States. Vowell has this about the days immediately following 9/11: 

"...when the newspaper I subscribe to published a full-page, full-color flag to clip out and hang in the window, how come I couldn’t? It took me a while to figure why I guiltily slid the flag into the recycling bin instead of taping it up. The meaning had changed; or let’s say it changed back. In the first day or two the flags were plastered everywhere, seeing them was heartening because they indicated that we were all in this sorrow together. The flags were purely emotional. Once we went to war, once the president announced that we were going to retaliate against the `evildoers,’ then the flag again represented what it usually represents, the government. I think that’s when the flags started making me nervous. The true American patriot is by definition skeptical of the government."

She seems to want to be patriotic but it's just so darn hard to do if you're an educated person who really knows and understands the history of this country. The thing about Vowell is that she brings us all of her truth with a terrific sense of humor and irony which I really enjoy. 

This one started off solid for me with "What He Said," which sees Vowell attending the 137th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. As an American history teacher's kid, who has visited Gettysburg (among countless (no, really, countless) others, I was caught up with mentions of Joshua Chamberlain, George Pickett, and Little Round Top. Vowell asks us to remember that the Lincoln we idolize was also a politician who was running for re-election when he gave that address. 

Another essay I enjoyed was "Ike Was A Handsome Man," where Vowell is "writing" to Bill Clinton about how his presidential library should be curated. She recommends following the lead of the JFK library, using Clinton's words and voice, rather than narrators as well as the Eisenhower library which emphasizes the highlights of what was accomplished. But she also recommends following the lead of the Lyndon Johnson library, which includes the lowlights as well as the highlights. 

 Vowell has this to say about being a nerd, the thing that has made her so successful: 

"Being a nerd, which is to say going too far, and caring too much about a subject, is the best way to make friends I know. For me, the spark that turns an acquaintance into a friends has usually been kindled by some shared enthusiasm like detective novels or Ulysses S. Grant." 

Me too, Sarah, me, too. 

Happy Sunday from grey and rainy Omaha! So very happy that it's a long weekend (hope it is for you, too!). It's been a busy week here, filled with a lot of fun things, but I'm needing a day to just rest and recover. In fact, it might just be a day spent curled up reading. 

On last week for my summer Life Goes On photo - can't believe summer is unofficially over already. Going to do my best to enjoy the fall this year. Might be buying a lot of mums just so we continue to have blooming flowers later into the year so things don't look so bleak so soon and winter doesn't feel as long. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Isabel Allende's Ripper, which finally all pulled together although I'm not sure it was in time to save the book for me. Just started Harriet Constable's The Instrumentalist, which I learned about at our library's annual Book Bash the other night. Historical fiction, based on a true person, featuring Antonio Vivaldi? Count me in! 

Watched: Lots of volleyball, our Huskers' first football game of the season, and several episodes of Only Murders In The Building. 

Read: I started Ruth Ware's The Woman In Suite 11. 

Made: Teriyaki stir fry, salads, and meats for a taco bar we had last night. 

Enjoyed: Book club Tuesday, the library Book Bash on Thursday with friends, dinner Friday with my niece and her husband who were in town for a concert, and an impromptu engagement party last night for Mini-him and Miss C. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: I think this will be a quiet week. With the house having been cleaned for company twice this week, there's not a lot of that to be done which should give me time to get back to some family genealogy work. Or maybe a furniture project. 

Thinking About: How smart I was to make a little of the food for last night as possible. Cake & queso from Costco; carnitas, tortillas, chips, salsas, and guacamole from one of our fave Mexican restaurants; and margaritas brought by the bride-to-be's parents. Still busy getting everything pulled together but so much more relaxing than trying to make everything myself. 

Feeling: Tired, y'all. This girl is not used to having so much going on in her life! 

Looking forward to: It's "get my hair done" week and you know how much I love that excuse to just sit and be pampered without guilt. 

Question of the week: Are you celebrating the end of summer or mourning it? 

Life: It Goes On - August 24

Happy Sunday! It's a beautiful day in Omaha today - the sun is shining, it's only 65 degrees, and the windows are open. Yesterday I harvested a giant bowl of cherry tomatoes...to go along with the giant bowl that is already on my counter. This week's menu will definitely be cherry tomato focused, and I'm okay with that. Our other tomatoes? Not doing much so the Big Guy has gone off to the farmer's market to find a couple of tomatoes that will work for BLTs and an egg dish I want to try. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: Isabelle Allende's Ripper still. Almost half way through and we are still meeting new characters that we're getting a lot of background on. Please let all of the start coming together in a way that ties back to what I thought the book was about. 

Watched: Only Murders In The Building, the last episode of season 2 of Shrinking, football and the kickoff of the college volleyball season with our Huskers (ranked #1) defeating Pittsburgh (ranked #3). This season is going to be so much fun! 

Read: I finished Geraldine Brooks' Memorial Days and it's one of those books that I was said to finish. Today I'm headed over to the library to pick up Ruth Ware's latest, The Woman In Suite 11 and Clare Leslie Hall's Broken Country. 

Made: Lots of salads this week and last night I made caprese lasagna roll ups, which I'm excited to say we'll have for leftovers today. 

Enjoyed: I have a four-day weekend and it's been so nice to just leisurely work on things that need to get done but also have plenty of time to relax, read, and even take a couple of naps. Best yet is knowing that I don't have to go to work tomorrow so I can fully enjoy Sunday! 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: Trying to put together a couple of long weekend trips, since we haven't gone anywhere all summer. 

Thinking About: What a small world it is. Last night we went to a new-to-us place for a glass of wine. The place was empty so we struck up a conversation with the bartender, who told us that he used to live in Alaska. Of course, we said that's where our kids lived; and, of course, he asked where in Alaska they live. I told him the town and then started to tell him where that was in relation to Anchorage, but he cut me off exclaiming, "That's where I lived!" What are the chances?

Feeling: Rested and happy to know that I've reached the point with my PTO that I'm going to have to schedule more of these long weekends to make sure that I don't reach the point where I max out on PTO. 

Looking forward to: Another long weekend this coming weekend, although I know that BG will try to fill up all three days with activities. 

Question of the week: Next weekend marks the unofficial start of autumn. Are you looking forward to fall, or are you like me and wish that summer could hold on for a few more weeks?

Life: It Goes On - August 17

Happy Sunday! I'm finally getting to this, just before I go to bed. Made a quick trip to Kansas City (left here at 10 a.m. yesterday and got back at 11 a.m. this morning) and came home with a headache that has had me mostly just sitting all day. Am I getting too old to make a quick trip to K.C.?! Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Kim Michele Richardson's The Book Woman's Daughter and started Isabelle Allende's Ripper. Three hours in and I feel like we're mostly just getting to know characters. 

Watched: The main reason I went to K.C. was so that Miss H and I could go see Freakier Friday together. Freaky Friday is one of those movies the two of us have watched dozens of times and always quote so I'm glad we got to see the follow up together. Verdict: we both liked it and laughed a lot. Does it live up to the original? No, but almost nothing does. It tries a little too hard and tries to do a bit too much. But almost everyone from the original is in it and there are a lot of fun throwbacks in it, including the band playing the song from the Battle of the Bands in the first movie. And there are a couple of Easter eggs in it that we both loved. Two thumbs up from us. 

Read: I started Geraldine Brooks' Memorial Days, which I had forgotten was a memoir about her grief process after losing her husband. 

Made: Monster cookies and onion dip to take down to have with my girl. 

Enjoyed: Dinner with friends Friday night at one of our fave places and time with my girl with just the two of us. Big Guy had a "gig" with his old band so couldn't come. Sometimes it's fun to just have girl time!

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: I'm hosting book club Tuesday (yeah, it wasn't last week, it's this week) and we're going to be watching a movie based on a book. So I'm planning which movie to watch and what to serve. 

Thinking About: Family genealogy. I'm on a kick now to get all of my previously notes organized and put into a readable format. Then I'm looking forward to filling in the blanks. 

Feeling: Still tired, still a dull headache so I'm feeling ready to crawl into bed. 

Looking forward to: Seeing my friends on Tuesday and a four-day weekend next weekend that I have to take so I don't max out on earning PTO. 

Question of the week: Have you ever looked into your family history? If so, how far back have you been able to track your family? Thanks to my mom and BG's mom's side of the family, we already have most of the work done to track our family back to Europe on all sides; my job is to track it on his dad's side.