A dazzling historical debut set in eighteenth-century Venice, about the woman written out of the story of one of history's greatest musical masterpieces

Enthralling, passionate, vivid. The Instrumentalist is a marvel -- KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE, author of The Heresies and The Dance Tree Haunting, lyrical and so passionately rendered, The Instrumentalist is a virtuoso performance. Constable's evocation of Vivaldi's Venice and the lost - until now - life of Anna Maria della Pieta had me spellbound from start to finish. This is a remarkable story of strength and survival, talent and ambition, and the searing power of music to keep a heart beating. Wonderful -- EMMA STONEX That rare creation - a powerful contribution to our understanding of women's history and a captivating novel in its own right. Harriet Constable's reimagining of Anna Maria della Pieta's life vibrates with colour and passion, a tale worthy of the violinist's genius. I was completely swept up into the intense world of Venice's forgotten orchestra of orphans, where the girls' hopes, dreams and relationships are movingly drawn ... A story of musical rivalry which will completely capture your imagination -- ELODIE HARPER, Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Wolf Den I was swept away by this searing portrait of ambition and betrayal. Occasionally a book arrives which not only moves but performs a vital function: and The Instrumentalist restores Anna Maria's name as she deserves, removing her from the forgotten annals of history -- ELIZABETH MACNEAL, author of the Sunday Times-bestselling The Doll Factory An intriguing tale ... A fascinating story of music, ambition, and womanhood in eighteenth-century Venice ... In The Instrumentalist, the Venetian Republic is a character in its own right, amid the glory and decadence of its final century. -- CHARMAINE WILKERSON, author of the New York Times-bestselling Black Cake With a heroine at once so very fierce and yet so vulnerable, The Instrumentalist is an insightful study of female talent and ambition - and how easily they can be hi-jacked or undermined by men -- ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of Cecily An enthralling novel, which viscerally transports you to eighteenth-century Venice and revives the lost story of a phenomenal woman; a lovingly rendered account of passion, struggle and the power of music * MARIE CLAIRE, Seven debut novels by female authors to read in 2024 * An immersive, impassioned tale full of colour and sound * OBSERVER * A stunning story written in prose as vibrant as the music it depicts. The Instrumentalist is a beautiful tale of resilience and survival in the face of impossible odds, and brings a much needed voice to a lost part of musical history -- ISABELLE SCHULER, author of Lady MacBethad The debut novelist Harriet Constable travels to eighteenth-century Venice in The Instrumentalist, which is based on the true story of Anna Maria della Pieta, a student of Antonio Vivaldi * NEW STATESMAN, Fiction to look out for in 2024 * An epic novel set in eighteenth-century Venice and based on the real life of Anna Maria della Pieta who, taught by Vivaldi, went on to become the leading pop star of her day. She's since been written out of history. Until now * BBC, Book releases 2024 *

Harriet Constable is a journalist, filmmaker and author based in London. Her journalism and documentary work has featured in outlets including the New York Times, BBC, Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, NPR, and the Economist. She is a graduate of Columbia University's School of Journalism summer school and is a Pulitzer Center grantee and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. harrietconstable.com @HConstable