Synopsis: A breathtaking novel of romantic obsession, longing and one woman's choice between motherhood and her operatic calling.
It is 1903. Dr. Ravell is a young Harvard-educated obstetrician with a growing reputation for helping couples conceive. He has treated women from all walks of Boston society, but when Ravell meets Erika-an opera singer whose beauty is surpassed only by her spellbinding voice-he knows their doctor-patient relationship will be like none he has ever had.
After struggling for years to become pregnant, Erika believes there is no hope. Her mind is made up: she will leave her prominent Bostonian husband to pursue her career in Italy, a plan both unconventional and risky. But becoming Ravell's patient will change her life in ways she never could have imagined.
Lush and stunningly realized, The Doctor and the Diva moves from snowy Boston to the jungles of Trinidad to the gilded balconies of Florence. This magnificent debut is a tale of passionate love affairs.
Type: Fiction
Quick Take: Recommend - I loved this book. At one point I thought it was going in one direction and it went somewhere I hadn't planned on! I kept reading, patiently waiting for the story to circle back. I felt Erika's sorrow/distress and the writing was beautiful. A compelling story without the perfect ending but neatly wrapped up (my favorite ending).
Source: Review Copy