Hannah Waters and the daughter of Johann Sebastian Bach

This book by Barbara Nickel has two main characters. Catharina Bach is the only girl and the eldest child in the Bach family. She adores her mother, fears her father, and is quite tired of caring for her three younger brothers. Her self-confidence is very low, especially considering she can sing like a bird.

Hannah Waters is the only child in her family. Her mother has recently passed away and she and her father have moved from Toronto to an inherited farm home halfway across the country. She desperately misses the music that surrounded her life when her mother, a concert violinist, was still alive.

Despite the fact that these girls live hundreds of years apart, Barbara Nickel provides them with the support of each other's spirit as they cope with irritations and tragedies in their lives.

This book was well written and the story was interesting, especially the way it sashayed from one century to another. However, I didn't find that it was a page-turner. I just couldn't quite immerse myself in the tale. Each of the girls was an interesting enough character, I suppose, but I found that I just didn't care as much as I think I was meant to. Often, I will read a book of this length in a jiffy. I found this one took much longer, not because it was difficult to read - not at all - but because it just wasn't compelling enough for me to pick up all those times I usually do pick up my book.

The book is well worth reading though. If you are looking for a gift for a 10 - 13 year old girl who enjoys historical fiction, this would be a good choice. Most girls who enjoy reading would find the mixture of historical and contemporary fiction in this book pleasing.