The Orphan's Song

By Lauren Kate

The historical adult debut novel by # 1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate, The Orphan's Song is a sweeping love story about family and music--and the secrets each hold--that follows the intertwined fates of two Venetian orphans.

"A tangled knot of betrayal and love, lies and redemption. Marvelous." --Fiona Davis, author of The Address

A song brought them together.
A secret will tear them apart.

Venice, 1736. When fate brings Violetta and Mino together on the roof of the Hospital of the Incurables, they form a connection that will change their lives forever. Both are orphans at the Incurables, dreaming of escape. But when the resident Maestro notices Violetta's voice, she is selected for the Incurables' world famous coro, and must sign an oath never to sing beyond its church doors.

After a declaration of love ends in heartbreak, Mino flees the Incurables in search of his family. Known as the "city of masks," Venice is full of secrets, and Mino is certain one will lead to his long-lost mother. Without him, the walls close in on Violetta and she begins a dangerous and forbidden nightlife, hoping her voice can secure her freedom. But neither finds what they are looking for, until a haunting memory Violetta has suppressed since childhood leads them to a shocking confrontation.

Vibrant with the glamour and beauty of Venice at its zenith, The Orphan's Song takes us on a breathtaking journey of passion, heartbreak, and betrayal before it crescendos to an unforgettable ending, a celebration of the enduring nature and transformative power of love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Release date: Jun 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9780735212596

Lauren Kate

Lauren Kate is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of over ten novels, including the young adult paranormal romance series Fallen, which was made into a major motion picture. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and their Carolina dog. Visit her at LaurenKateBooks.net.

Reviews for The Orphan's Song

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel, set in eighteenth-century Venice, is told by two narrators – Mino and Violetta. They’re both orphans, raised in the House of the Incurables. [As the author explains, the Ospedale degli Incurabili in Venice was originally a hospital and orphanage for foundling children, dating back to the sixteenth century. For hundreds of years the Incurables took in orphans and raised them to be musicians. . . . "The Incurables was the original music conservatory."]Violetta always felt a connection to Mino. Although girls and boys were kept separate, Violetta saw Mino’s mother leave him at the door of the Ospedale. Years later, when they were both sixteen, they began to meet secretly since they both had the habit of sneaking up to the roof to observe life outside the Ospedale.The time in which this story occurs is one of the more interesting in the history of Vienna. Venetians wore masks not just during the pre-Lenten Carnivale period but year-round, enabling them to carry out all sorts of activities (such as extra-marital affairs) without being identified. [The carnival, popularly known as Carnevale di Venezia in Italy, is still held annually in Venice and lasts approximately three weeks.] Violetta, watching it all from the rooftop, always wanted to be a part of it. Although she had ambitions for a career as a soprano with the “Coro,” or choir, of the Incurables, she also had desires and dreams that extended beyond its walls. Alas, the two seemed to be incompatible: girls who were selected for the Coro had to vow ten years of performance, and swear that if they ever left the Incurables to marry, they would never play or sing in public.After Mino left the Incurables to apprentice for a job, Violetta was envious, and managed to find a way to sidestep her vows and get everything she wanted. Or so it seemed. Neither Mino or Violetta could forget the other, and this determined the paths they took in their lives. Having been abandoned by their parents had shaped them as well, and both had a lot to learn not only about the price of freedom, but about what love really meant.Mino came to understand, “Life was like music; if you changed a single note, you changed the entire song." For her part, Violetta finally realized love means not trying to change someone else's imperfections, but making them sing. Evaluation: The rich atmosphere of Venice, both glamorous and decadent, helps transform this story about loss and love into something more intriguing. I would have liked more development of the surprising twist at the end, but the decision by the author not to expand on it will leave much for book clubs to discuss.

[silversreviews · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Abandoned by her mother at two days old and seeing another mother abandon her child at the orphanage turned Violetta off from ever wanting to be a wife or a mother.When Violetta meets Mino from the boys’ side of the orphanage, it is instant attraction, but he wants what she won’t give him - a promise to be his wife and mother of his children which would be a way out of the orphanage, but she can't do it. The Incurables is an orphanage that stresses music. Violetta works hard at her singing, but it isn’t what she really wants.What she really wants is to know who her mother is, to find Mino’s mother, to be able to love Mino, and to be part of the coro that sings behind panels at The Incurables.We follow Mino and Violetta in their separate lives and both wishing they were together. You will feel their pain and sorrow and wonder how it will turn out for them.Ms. Kate’s writing style is smooth and inviting. I was immediately pulled into the book because of the story line and the characters. You could feel yourself with characters as they went to many a masked party in Venice and then spent their isolated days.THE ORPHAN'S SONG is a mesmerizing read that takes us onto the streets of Venice and into its churches during the 1700's as we experience the mystery and the beauty of the music and its captivating hold on those who hear the violins playing and the singing of the girls in the coro.If you enjoy books set in Venice, books set in the 1700's, lovers longing for each other, music, a family saga, secrets, and a beautiful, well-researched story line, you will want to add THE ORPHAN'S SONG to your reading list.THE ORPHAN'S SONG is a heartfelt read that will leave you longing for more and wanting to visit Venice for its beauty, its history, and its people. 5/5This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was a departure from the type of book I usually read. This book was a historical fiction novel set in Vienna in the 1700s. Violetta is an orphan at The Incurables orphanage. She is studying to be a lead singer in the caro (choir). Violetta longs to live outside of the gates of the orphanage. One night, when only 5 or 6, gazing out her window, Violetta sees a young mother put her son into the wheel leading into the orphanage. Violetta is aghast at a mother leaving her son. Violetta vows that she will never become a mother. She studies the woman and commits her to memory. The woman is softly singing a song which Violetta never forgets. Years later, Violetta is up on the roof of the orphanage. Mino, a boy from the orphanage comes to the roof as well. Violetta recognizes that Mino is the boy that was abandoned years ago. They begin a friendship. Their friendship grows to love. However, their love is overshadowed by the fear that Violetta harbors that she would abandon a child. Through a series of missteps, Mino and Violetta lose each other. Life goes on, until one day,Violetta learns the truth about Mino's parents. She has to find him and tell him. This is a story of heartache, secrets, and redemption. I enjoyed the story. However, there were too many coincidences in the book for it to be considered great. It was a relatively quick read. I would read more from this author.#TheOrphansSong #LaurenKate