The Violin Maker's Wife

Book excerpt: Three lives come together on the steps of a country church one fateful summer’s morning – two from backgrounds of wealth and privilege, the other an artisan already on his way to genius – each will know love and loss as the next twenty years unfold. Cremona, Italy. 1714. When thirteen-year-old Katarina Rota opens the door to the Guarneri workshop and Giuseppe plays a violin for her, neither can imagine what lies ahead. Though Giuseppe can teach her how to play, nurturing her talent until it surpasses his, he cannot see beyond that child he first knew. So, when Katarina meets Viennese army captain Johannes Horak and learns their families have arranged their marriage, she is ready to leave her romantic feelings for Giuseppe behind. But life has other plans, and both Giuseppe and Johannes have their parts to play in her story. Katarina must overcome heartache and struggle to find her path as a talented violin maker, drawing scorn and prejudice from Cremona’s patriarchal luthier hierarchy, before connections forged that summer long ago are finally played out. A story of love, friendship and forbidden liaisons, Dodie Bishop's THE VIOLIN MAKER'S WIFE is a compelling historical novel inspired by real-life characters, set in 18th century Italy.