The Kingdom of Back

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA
1759
 
MOZART BY THE OCEAN
 
Sometimes, a day comes along that seems possessed by a certain shade of magic. You know those moments. There is a peculiar pattern to the silhouettes of leaves quivering against the sunbeam on the floor. The dust in the air glows white, charmed. Your voice is a note suspended in the breeze. The sounds outside your window seem very far away, songs of another world, and you imagine that this is the moment just before something unusual happens. Perhaps it is happening right now.
 
My day of magic arrived on a bright autumn morning, when the poplar trees swayed against a golden city. I had recently turned eight years old. My brother, Wolfgang, was not yet four.
 
I was still playing through my exercises when Papa came through the door with Herr Schachtner at his side, the two of them discussing some matter or other about the archbishop, their hair blown wispy from the bustle of the Getreidegasse, the city s main thoroughfare, on which our home stood.
 
I paused in the middle of my arpeggios and folded my hands in my lap. Even now, I can remember the uneven stitching of my blue petticoat, my white hands against black clavier keys, the skeleton leaves clinging to Herr Schachtner s shoulders. His voice had been steeped in something rich and baritone. The scent of the street wind and smoke and baked bread lingered like a perfume on his coat.
 
My lips were rosy and dry. My hair stayed neatly curled behind my neck in loose dark waves, held back with pins. I was still too young to fuss over my appearance, so my mother had left me in a simple state.
 
Herr Schachtner! My mother s voice sweetened with surprise at the sound of men in the room. She said this as if we were not expecting him at all, the esteemed court trumpeter of Salzburg, as if we had not planned everything in advance for his visit. Such talk of the archbishop and the orchestra, it s no wonder you and

Marie Lu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites, Legend, and Warcross series. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles with her illustrator-author husband, Primo Gallanosa, and their family.

Praise for The Kingdom of Back:

A beautifully evocative cover and a feminist angle on Mozart s older sister, Nannerl (a talented pianist and composer in her own right), will have readers grabbing for Lu s latest title. Booklist 

A gorgeous story about what it means to be forgotten. Buzzfeed
 
With a unique premise and an understated beauty . . . this novel is unlike anything else [Lu s] published. It is historical fact transformed into a fairy tale and twisted into a tragedy. There is no question of Lu s extraordinary literary talent; she is at peak form here with her nuanced tale of sibling rivalry and familial distrust. Tor.com

A beautifully composed historical fantasy that will enthrall readers, especially those with music in their hearts. School Library Journal

In Lu s capable hands, [Nannerl is] finally resurrected, and her story and music sing. BookPage 

"Lu shows her knack for creating detailed worlds while seamlessly building a complicated sibling relationship with a balance of rivalry and love."  Publishers Weekly

Lu s exploration of the complex Mozart family dynamics and the period in which they lived is fascinating. Horn Book Reviews

A dreamlike story about music, magic, and the Mozart siblings. . . the end result is spellbinding. BookRiot

The shivery fantasy and bluntly realistic historical detail harmonize well, and there s plenty to ponder about women whose contributions have been suppressed or lost to history. The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books