Review for The Orphan's Song by Lauren Kate

The Orphan's Song

by 

Lauren Kate 

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published June 25th 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

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 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. 

My Thoughts…

The story of two orphans who only want to know what else life has in store for them in the future and dreaming of all that they will see in the world.    Violetta knows no life other than that of singing and working toward being part of the famous coro with the Incurables’.   Mino had a mother, she left him a token, but doesn’t have any real memories of her.  

Lauren Kate wrote a book where stories entwined, characters were pulled together or pushed apart by forces beyond their control, and history was amazing.    I felt like I was walking the streets with Lettie and Mino.  I could see the people they were seeing, feel the air blowing around me, and hear the amazing sounds they were experiencing.    The book came to life as I fell into the world of Venice. 

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