Diva
A Novel
Description
New York Times bestselling author Daisy Goodwin returns with a story of the scandalous love affair between the most celebrated opera singer of all time and one of the richest men in the world.
In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas was known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she was the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. But her fame was hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her golden voice, she learned early in life to protect herself from those who would use her for their own ends.
When she met the fabulously rich Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, for the first time in her life, she believed she'd found someone who saw the woman within the legendary soprano. She fell desperately in love. He introduced her to a life of unbelievable luxury, showering her with jewels and sojourns in the most fashionable international watering holes with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
And then suddenly, it was over. The international press announced that Aristotle Onassis would marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.
In this remarkable novel, Diva, Daisy Goodwin brings to life a woman whose extraordinary talent, unremitting drive and natural chic made her a legend. But it was only in confronting the heartbreak of losing the man she loved that Maria Callas found her true voice and went on to triumph.
About this Author
DAISY GOODWIN is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels The American Heiress and The Fortune Hunter. She attended Columbia University's film school as a Harkness scholar after earning a degree in history at Cambridge University, and was Chair of the judging panel of the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction. She is the screenwriter and executive producer of the PBS/Masterpiece drama Victoria. She lives in London.
Reviews
Praise for Diva:
"I was blown away by Diva. Beautiful, visceral, tragic, gutting." --Miranda Cowley Heller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace
"The spectacular Daisy Goodwin has written Diva, an epic novel about Maria Callas in love that hits every note and soars off the page. You will root for Callas as she navigates her dynamic career and a love affair that will break her heart. Told with tenderness and power, this is bravura storytelling in the hands of a master." --Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
"Elegant, adult, ultimately very moving, Diva presents an amazingly convincing Maria, while always conveying the power of the majestic Callas myth." --Laura Thompson, New York Times bestselling author of The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters
"I've been completely overwhelmed by Diva: by the pleasure of reading such a marvellous ardent, romantic yet utterly worldly book...Quick, where are my Callas records..." --Lady Antonia Fraser, national bestselling author of Marie Antoinette: The Journey
"With its glamour, celebrity and heartbreak, this is the unstoppable story of ambition and desire that enchantress Daisy Goodwin was born to write." --Lucy Worsley, host of the hit PBS series "Lucy Worsley Investigates" and bestselling author of Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman and Jane Austen at Home: A Biography
"Daisy Goodwin's richly imagined world makes Diva an irresistible page-turner. Blending high drama with an artist's eye for detail, Goodwin breathes life into one of the greatest and most tragic stars of the 20th century. Whether you're an opera aficionado or simply love an epic tale of love and ambition, Diva is a pure delight." --Dr. Amanda Foreman, New York Times bestselling author of Georgiana and A World on Fire
"Daisy Goodwin is a genius storyteller, fashioning the most delicious, insider gossip into a tale full of heartbreak, love, ambition, and brutal disappointment." --Nina de Gramont, bestselling author of The Christie Affair
"Daisy Goodwin's immersion in the life of Maria Callas has yielded a jewel of a novel, as tormentingly seductive as any diamond necklace given to her by her faithless lover, Onassis." --Rose Tremain, award-winning author of Restoration and Lily: A Tale of Revenge
"When Ms. Goodwin conjures the craft and grace of the hardworking singer who traced each bel canto phrase like a sinuous, unbroken 'line of ink' she does it well... Diva paints in bold, primary colors... [while exhibiting] subtler touches as Callas squanders the irreplaceable 'gold coin' of her unique talent." --Wall Street Journal
"VERDICT: Brava! Historical-fiction enthusiasts, fans of La Callas, and others will relish this view into the tumultuous love affair of a power couple; they'll offer a standing ovation when, in the novel's 'Final Curtain,' the opera singer discovers her true voice." --Library Journal, starred review
"Dazzling...Diva sparkles with glamour, glimmers with hope, and is emblazoned with female empowerment." --Shelf Awareness
"Fascinating, tender and richly-imagined." --Toronto Star
"The lifestyle of the wealthy and the adoration of the musical world are set in contrast to Maria's inner turmoil and her strength as she struggles to overcome betrayal. [Goodwin] presents it all with clarity, empathy, and insight, and combines high drama with meticulous detail." --Historical Novel Society
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