From the opulent palaces of Venice to its mud-licked canals, The Instrumentalist is 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. For fans of The Queen’s Gambit and The Marriage Portrait, The Instrumentalist is a searing exploration of art and ambition, genius and exploitation, and loss and triumph.

'Enthralling, passionate, vivid. The Instrumentalist is a marvel.' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, author of The Mercies

'Occasionally a book arrives which not only moves but performs a vital function: and The Instrumentalist restores Anna Maria's name as she deserves, removing her from the forgotten annals of history.' ELIZABETH MACNEAL, author of The Doll Factory

“A fascinating story of music, ambition, and womanhood in eighteenth-century Venice ... In The Instrumentalist, the Venetian Republic is a character in its own right, amid the glory and decadence of its final century.” CHARMAINE WILKERSON, author of Black Cake

“With a heroine at once so very fierce and yet so vulnerable, The Instrumentalist is an insightful study of female talent and ambition – and how easily they can be hi-jacked or undermined by men.” ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of Cecily

“A stunning story written in prose as vibrant as the music it depicts. The Instrumentalist is a beautiful tale of resilience and survival in the face of impossible odds, and brings a much needed voice to a lost part of musical history.” ISABELLE SCHULER, author of Lady MacBethad