Wonderful book!
An excellent read! The author described locations so beautifully I felt as if I was in Trinidad and Italy. It was interesting to read about the early treatment of infertility. I felt Erika's pain about not having a baby and but wanting a baby so bad she put her own passion of singing on hold. Erika's and Ravell's love story was so tender you want them to be together.
The book was an easy read and I loved every page.
Rated of 5
by Mary J. (Scottsdale, AZ)
A Rich and Full Story
The Doctor and The Diva is a well written and fully developed story with great details. It is a book that once you start reading it, you can't put it down. It is full of twists and turns and had me from the first page. It is a must read. You will fall in love with the characters and will be sad to finish the story.
Rated of 5
by Cam G. (Murrells Inlet, SC)
THE DOCTOR AND THE DIVA
The Doctor and the Diva, Adrienne McDonnell's first novel, is a wonderful read from start to finish. It is inspired by the life of the author's son's paternal great great grandmother who deserted her husband and son to further her career as an operatic singer. This book is about obsessions:her unfailing attempt to bear a child, to fulfill her dream to to go to Italy and become a singer, and the love she had for a man, a well-known fertility doctor who is in charge of her care. We learn about the early beginnings of fertility treatment, we discover the beauty of the places she traveled by McDonnell's beautiful descriptions...all this in a book that will undoubtedly draw you in until the final page.
Rated of 5
by Jill S. (Eagle, ID)
The Docotr and the Diva
This book captivated me from the start. It is an easy and engaging read. The issues tackled in the book--fertility, career and love are timeless. Although some of the transitions are choppy, the characters are believable and well developed. This book would be great for any bookclub discussion.
Rated of 5
by Dorothy T. (Victorville, CA)
Brilliant!
There are many elements in this novel that ring of truth. The story is believable and well-paced, right down to a climax that led me to almost shout aloud, "No! It can't happen like this!" The descriptions of what it feels like to release the music inside—to sing well—are so true that the author has to have felt that herself, but how did she find the right words? The overriding truth of this novel, though, is that all of us make choices that, no matter what the motivation, force us to face consequences we may not have anticipated.
I think this novel would be a great book club selection and is for anyone who loves music and/or travel to a tropical paradise or Italy at the turn of the 20th century.
Rated of 5
by Gunta K. (Glens Falls, NY)
Independence In Early 1900's
Erika, main character of story is a Brahmin of Boston. She comes from a well to do family, lives on Beacon Hill. She also has a magnificent mezzo soprano voice. Her studies with renowned music teachers started early, in her teens. Erika sings in the opulent music rooms of Boston society. Gives small, well attended concerts. Clearly has passions are her music and her husband Peter. After several years of marriage both Erika and Peter find themselves childless, so they enlist the expertise of one Dr. Ravell who is reputed to have success in such cases. As fertility treatments were nearly unheard of in the early nineteen hundreds and what there was was veiled in great secrecy, the novel at this juncture is a historical account of these practices. quite interesting and informative. However, Erika's search for her own personal fulfillment and a channel for her beautiful continues. She leaves her husband, her family and she travels to Florence, Italy. The colors, sounds, music, cafes, food, impresarios are described in great detail, nearly to the point where one is able to experience it as if one was there. Erika's quest to display her talent takes her to Trinidad, also another island off the shores of Venezuela. Vegetation of the tropics, wildlife, the beaches, sudden tropical storms, life on a plantation between the owners and serving people are depicted with great writing skill. Erika's return to Florence with her never faltering drive to express her talent, is a most interesting read. The consummate drive of this woman on behalf of her talent is something all women can appreciate and learn from. I enjoyed it immensely.
Rated of 5
by RoseMary W. (Boardman, OH)
The Doctor & the Diva
An interesting story with excellent descriptions of settings and character development. Some transitions between sections in chapters were choppy but the novel was an easy read.
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U.S. ebook sales up in 2012, but rate of growth is slowing(May 16 2013) In 2012, trade book sales (i.e. non academic book sales) rose 6.9%, to $15.049 billion, and e-book sales continued to grow, although the rate of growth...
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by Virginia B. (Forest Park, IL)
of 5
by Gunta K. (Glens Falls, NY)
