The Missing Half by Cinzia Zuccarini

  

 

The Missing Half (La Meta D’un Soldo)

By Cinzia Zuccarini

SUMMARY

When an archaeological dig uncovers the remains of a young girl, the fragments of her short life are pieced together to reveal a rich and evocative picture of eighteenth-century Venice. Abandoned at birth, with only one half of a broken coin to identify her, the young Prudenza is raised in the Conservatorio della Pietà, the famed Venetian orphanage and music school. Her virtuosity as a violinist earns her a place in the household of the Palazzo Grimani, where her story unfolds through the pages of her poignant diaries. We hear first-hand her intimate accounts of life in one of Venice’s most powerful families – the intrigues, loves and scandals – as well as the artistic and social frustrations suffered by women of the time. Blessed only with musical accomplishment in a society where family status and connections are all, Prudenza must find her own identity in an alienating world.

Winner of the “Lorenzo Da Ponte” prize for literature, "The Missing Half" sets a fictional personal story within a historically accurate depiction of Venice in 1770, at the height of its artistic and musical splendour. (Roisin Robothan-Jones)

MY REVIEW:

I was honoured to attend a book signing event and music recital hosted by the author at a local agriturismo a few months ago

I loved the cover – an image of the canals of Venice, a violin and a diary only covers half the page. What a masterstroke!

The story starts in the present day with a startling narrative. It is the middle of the night and there is an intruder in the archaeologist’s house. We learn of his fear, his vulnerability and extreme anxiety.

‘Someone was rifling through his trouser pockets. The light of the moon meant he could clearly see the back of a large dark figure. He had to remain motionless, hoping the burglar would grab what he wanted – his watch on the bedside table, the computer on his desk – and then finally leave. He wanted to live.’

In this first chapter we learn much about the archaeologist. His immediate worry is that that the intruder might take his computer, which holds important work files. He thinks about his ex-girlfriend, Daniela and that in some fortunate way, it was lucky she was not there with him. How could he have defended her? She was tired of him and had met someone else ‘who made her feel alive, made her laugh and feel like a woman again.’ Her assault on him and his job is so brutal it leaves him with intense emotional pain which is like ‘a diluted poison for which there was no antidote.’

She derides him and taunts him, telling him that he is ‘a prisoner of the past, sinking into his excavations without noticing the real world’ His sense of loss is so great and so painful that he drowns his memories of her, yet now and then they surface.

‘Her delicate earlobe, the copper bracelet on her wrist, the nipple of her left breast.’

The metaphors, the language and the adjectives brilliantly illustrate the utter rejection he feels. Her injurious words are incredibly unkind, and her parting shot to him is, ‘thankfully we don’t have children.’

His thoughts shift back to the work files on his PC, and this is where we learn about his current project, an excavation near Venice looking for medieval Lombard tombs. He and his colleagues had found no tombs, but instead, unearthed the bones of a healthy young girl on the side of a road between Venice and Padua. However, there is a surprising discovery. She has a shoulder deformity, which could have been caused by playing an instrument. There were a few items buried with the body, a mother-of-pearl hairclip, an almost illegible diary and a bag from the Ospedale della Pieta (Hospital of Mercy Convent founded in the fourteenth century) containing half a token. Who was this young musician? How had she died and why was there no gravestone?

This is where the book changes direction. The reader is transported to Venice, 1770 and we are now reading the personal diary or journal of Prudenza. The language changes, the narration changes to the first person or ‘I’ which allows the reader to experience the events and emotions of the story through the narrator's eyes and thoughts, and the text is now in italics.

A young Prudenza is forced to leave the ‘Pieta’ (orphanage) and given a position in a Venetian palazzo as a music teacher to the two young daughters of the household, Anna Lucia and Luigia.

On the day she leaves, she is given a tiny bundle, a bag containing half a broken coin. This had been left for her as a baby in a cradle. It was a coin by which her mother would recognise her, one day.

The Grimani Palace and the noble Venetian family who live there, the Lord and Lady of the Serenissima are a world away from the orphanage.  

‘I miss my life. It was the only one I knew before my service to this wealthy and important family that idolises music so much, they cultivate it with delight each day. I am the daughter’s music teacher but also a seamstress, lady in waiting and servant depending on the Signore’s needs, which I must obey.’

She must adapt and find her own identity in a new world of etiquette, culture, high society and opulence. In addition to illustrating the well-known aspects of the musical fervour of eighteenth-century Venice, it also aims to highlight the challenging role of women in the artistic, interpersonal, and social dynamics of the time. She faces many challenges trying to navigate the social and psychological differences that arise from the stark contrast in her background and circumstances.

Firstly, Signor Grimani is so taken with Prudenza’s musical skill, he elevates her role and asks her to play her violin at a concert where the Doge’s son will be in attendance. Not unsurprisingly, this results in jealousy from the other servants who feel that Prudenza has been given unjust and undeserved privileges.

 

‘Lady Grimaldi gave me a mother-of-pearl hair clip as a gift. I was then sprinkled with face powder. Giuditta, the governess, looked at me with scorn. The dress, the wig, the concert.’

Secondly, her relationship with one of the daughters breaks down with devastating effect.

‘Luigia hurled a barrage of insults at me. I was so stunned that I could not utter a word. I wanted to throw myself at her feet, but I did not move a finger. She got up, walked towards me and said in a cold voice: “Our lessons are finished now. I do not want to see you nor hear your foolish and useless music anymore.” I was mortified.

Finally, there are occurrences of spiteful behaviour towards her, but she does not know who is when she enters a room. A fly put in her broth, a dirty glass, her music is either taken or stained and once there was a dead mouse in front of her door. She is now in fear of what may happen next but believes this is a punishment from God when she prayed that her mother would come and take her back.

It’s difficult to label this book into a particular genre. Historical fiction with a mystery? So perhaps we can call it a historical mystery. Who was the mother of Prudenza and why was she abandoned at the orphanage? The novel begins and ends with an external narration, but then unfolds through the pages of the diary, narrated in the first person, exploring the great unresolved themes of motherhood, belonging, and the origin and destiny of each of us.

 

 

 

Why I recommend this book

I read the English version, but it is also available in Italian - La metà d'un soldo. (Half a Coin)

It's quite a beautiful story. It is entirely fictional but weaves a personal story set amid the captivating splendour of Venice and is an accurate depiction of a time when art and music flourished in an unparalleled celebration of creativity and beauty. It is rather a haunting story and has several parallels with Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane was on a quest for home and belonging. Prudenza is also on a quest for identity and self-discovery. Jane’s orphaned status rendered her dependent on those with more power, regardless of whether they allowed her love or dignity. Prudenza is in the same situation.

A first-person narration is frequently used in novels, where the main character often serves as the narrator. This perspective creates a sense of intimacy between the reader and the narrator, as the reader is privy to the narrator's thoughts, feelings, and observations. 

‘I will have to get used to the solitude of my room. They have given me a small bare chamber, with a wardrobe, a bed, a desk and a nightstand. On the chair, I have placed my violin. All I can hear now is the lapping of the canal and the cooing of pigeons. I pretend they are my friends, I bid them good day. I study their arrogant warbling. They are much like opera singers.’

This is a small book, only 112 pages, yet it has a powerful and emotional impact on the reader. It’s enjoyable, memorable, and thought-provoking. 

The accuracy of the historical research is exceptional, and the link to music never very far away. The Ospedale della Pietà existed and was a convent, orphanage, and music school in Venice. Like other Venetian ospedali, the Pietà was first established as a hospice for the needy. A group of Venetian nuns, called the Consorelle di Santa Maria dell’Umiltà, established this charitable institution for orphans and abandoned girls in the fourteenth century. Its fame is largely connected to its resident composer and violin teacher, Antonio Vivaldi.

While reading the book, I was in mind of another story with a character similar to Lady Grimani.  Anyone familiar with Dickens and Bleak House - It tells the story of the icily beautiful Lady Dedlock, who nurses a dark secret in her past.

‘Lady Grimani sits before us in front of the great window every day when we are playing. She pretends to read a book, so she does not feel bored during the long days of her pregnancy. But actually, she is observing us in silence. Sometimes her gaze is like a beam of light, on other occasions her look is indecipherable, as if she were scrutinising me. The Lady fears me. But why?’

When there are two stories within a book, one of them can have a happy ending. I will leave that thought with you.

 

“Maybe it's not about the happy ending. Maybe it's about the story!”  Albert Camus

 

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Born in 1971, Cinzia Zuccarini has devoted her studies to XVIII century music and literature. After pursuing her career as a violinist, performing in many important orchestras in Italy and abroad, she is focusing on the analysis of the deep connection between arts, music and literature in the glorious years of the Venetian Republic. Her graduation thesis on Charles Burney’s musical journey through France and Italy led to the publication of essays and articles in many specialised magazines.

The missing half, winner of the first prize at the Lorenzo Da Ponte literary award, is her first novel. It was followed by Tutti i nomi dell’anima (Diastema 2023), which continues in the quest for the forgotten women of the past, revealing their untold contribution to music writing and violin making.

 

BOOK BLURB:

Published by Diastema (Feb 2024)

Translated by James Cetrullo

 

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:

Tutti i nomi dell'anima