What do readers think of The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell? Write your own review.

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.

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.

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.

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.