The Orphan's Song    by Lauren Kate Order:  USA  Can Putnam, 2019 (2019) Hardcover, Softcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Barbara Lingens Eighteenth-century Venice comes beautifully alive in this book about a little-known corner of its world. A certain church orphanage trains its girls in music from infancy to adulthood. The Church of the Incurables is famous for its conservatory of musicians. The girls' singing and playing bring lots of money to the church, which allows its leaders to provide the best instructors and composers for the girls. Even though the girls are kept completely separate from the boys and are not allowed outside the orphanage, Violetta knows she will one day be free - it's part of her destiny. She manages to meet Mino, a fellow orphan, and they forge a bond that will be life-changing for both of them. The life Violetta manages to escape to is not what she expected, and it is Mino who must rescue her. For me, the most interesting part was the education of the singers - how they practiced and worked with the composers and how competitive they were as they learned to use their voices. Also interesting was the dangerous world of the rich and famous at that time. All was not as romantic as it seemed. The Orphan's Song is rich historical fiction. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Historical books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews