Winner of the 2021 Viva la Novella Award

In eighteenth-century Venice, orphan Lucietta is raised by a fisherman's family yet supported by a secret benefactor to study music. At 16, she takes up her position at the Derelitti Convent, one of the prestigious musical orphanages for girls, playing the violin in the ensemble and training the younger musicians. Confronted by her benefactor's plans for her life, Lucietta uncovers the true legacy of these women and her role in bridging the past.

'Christine Balint writes about music with quiet authority. Water Music offers an intimate understanding of art's power to uphold and direct a life.' Michelle de Kretse