The Doctor and the Diva
A Novel
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3.9 • 56 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
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, dangerous decisions, and a woman's irreconcilable desires as she is forced to choose between the child she has always longed for and the opera career she cannot live without. Inspired by the author's family history, the novel is sensual, sexy, and heart-stopping in its bittersweet beauty.
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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In her book-club friendly debut, McDonnell weaves the intriguing tale of an early 20th-century opera singer torn between her career and motherhood. Erika von Kessler, a mezzo-soprano of some regard, and her husband, Peter Myrick, have been trying without success to conceive a child for all six years of their marriage. They seek out the expertise of Dr. Ravell, a Boston obstetrician renowned for his fertility successes. Ravell, mesmerized by Erika s beauty and talent, vows to do anything to help the couple realize their dream of children, even if it means deceiving them, which, of course, it does. Meanwhile, Erika isn t so sure about her desire for motherhood and secretly makes plans to leave her husband and pursue fame in Italy. McDonnell bases the story on her family history and expertly incorporates surprising facts about the history of fertility research into a twisting tale of miscommunication, love, and unrealized dreams.
Customer Reviews
Very entertaining
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although it took me a few chapters to get to that point. The characters are strong enough, but I found the two leads' infatuation with each other somewhat under-supported at the outset. It just wasn't compelling enough, substantiated or founded enough in sufficient interaction. While one could argue love/lust at first sight, that didn't work for me either.
All that aside, I was kept tied to the plot line, characters, and potential climaxes all the way through.
Would have loved an epilogue/wrap-up of what happened to the two children, and Peter.
Doctor and the Diva
Interesting time period. Love the Doctor. Not fond of Peter, angered at the main character but it took courage what she did and almost has moments of relatable instances. Great descriptions do places she visited.