A stirring and romantic historical novel about nineteenth-century Vienna and the tragedy and dynamic passion that inspired Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.
Vienna, 1800. Countess Julie Guicciardi’s life is about to change forever. The spirited eighteen-year-old is taking piano lessons with Ludwig van Beethoven, the most talented piano virtuoso in the musical capital of Europe. She is captivated by his volatile genius, while he is drawn to her curiosity and disarming candor. Between them, a unique romance. But Beethoven has a secret he’s yet to share, and Julie is harboring a secret of her own, one so scandalous it could destroy their perfect love story.
When Beethoven discovers the truth, he sets his emotions to music, composing a mournful opus that will become the Moonlight Sonata. The haunting refrain will follow Julie for the rest of her life.
Set against the rich backdrop of nineteenth-century Vienna, The Woman in the Moonlight is an exhilarating ode to eternal passion. An epic tale of love, loss, rivalry, and political intrigue. A stirring portrait of a titan who wrestled with the gods and a woman who defied convention to inspire him.
Genre: Historical
Vienna, 1800. Countess Julie Guicciardi’s life is about to change forever. The spirited eighteen-year-old is taking piano lessons with Ludwig van Beethoven, the most talented piano virtuoso in the musical capital of Europe. She is captivated by his volatile genius, while he is drawn to her curiosity and disarming candor. Between them, a unique romance. But Beethoven has a secret he’s yet to share, and Julie is harboring a secret of her own, one so scandalous it could destroy their perfect love story.
When Beethoven discovers the truth, he sets his emotions to music, composing a mournful opus that will become the Moonlight Sonata. The haunting refrain will follow Julie for the rest of her life.
Set against the rich backdrop of nineteenth-century Vienna, The Woman in the Moonlight is an exhilarating ode to eternal passion. An epic tale of love, loss, rivalry, and political intrigue. A stirring portrait of a titan who wrestled with the gods and a woman who defied convention to inspire him.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"I was utterly absorbed in this beautiful novel of the brilliant, impossible Beethoven and the lovely countess who inspired one of his greatest sonatas. The story is so moving I was sorry to come to the last pages. I read them with tears in my eyes." - Stephanie Cowell
"Sensual, witty, and deeply researched, The Woman in the Moonlight vividly captures the tumultuous romance between volatile genius Ludwig van Beethoven and his ‘enchanting girl,’ Countess Julie Guicciardi. In a love story ripe with decadence and court intrigue, Patricia Morrisroe transports readers on an unforgettable romp through nineteenth-century Europe. Brava!" - Sally Koslow
"An intoxicating novel about love, art, and life. Just as Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata moves one from tears to hope, so does Patricia Morrisroe’s story of the woman who inspired the sonata, Countess Julie Guicciardi." - Lara Prescott
"The Woman in the Moonlight shines a light into nineteenth-century Europe’s political and cultural history, revealing lives that are just as nuanced, tortured, and decadent as any we might read about in the tabloids today. Morrisroe’s touching debut novel is a tribute to the focus, tenacity, courage, and sacrifice demanded by both art and what is commonly called true love." - Barbara Quick
"Sensual, witty, and deeply researched, The Woman in the Moonlight vividly captures the tumultuous romance between volatile genius Ludwig van Beethoven and his ‘enchanting girl,’ Countess Julie Guicciardi. In a love story ripe with decadence and court intrigue, Patricia Morrisroe transports readers on an unforgettable romp through nineteenth-century Europe. Brava!" - Sally Koslow
"An intoxicating novel about love, art, and life. Just as Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata moves one from tears to hope, so does Patricia Morrisroe’s story of the woman who inspired the sonata, Countess Julie Guicciardi." - Lara Prescott
"The Woman in the Moonlight shines a light into nineteenth-century Europe’s political and cultural history, revealing lives that are just as nuanced, tortured, and decadent as any we might read about in the tabloids today. Morrisroe’s touching debut novel is a tribute to the focus, tenacity, courage, and sacrifice demanded by both art and what is commonly called true love." - Barbara Quick
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