Welcome to my blog where I share my book reviews
and life along the winding road

Friday, February 1, 2013

The Doctor and The Diva by Adrienne McDonnell

The Doctor and The Diva by Adrienne McDonnell was inspired by a woman who lived a century ago. (You can read about how Adrienne McDonnell used the life of this woman in her book here)
The novel touches on yearning for a child, women's struggles with conception in the early 1900s and how physicians helped couples who had trouble conceiving. It is also about the attraction of a young doctor and a woman who, after giving up hope of becoming a mother, moves to Italy to launch her career.

From the cover:
This is a tale of romantic obsession, longing, and a woman's irreconcilable desires as she is forced to choose between the child she has always yearned for and the artistic career she cannot live without. Inspired by the author's family history, the novel is heart-stopping in its bittersweet beauty.

I'm only part way through this book and so far I'm enjoying learning about how physicians worked during this time period and a glimpse into the life of a gifted opera singer. This story takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of Boston, Europe and the Caribbean.