Diva: A Novel

by Daisy Goodwin

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Daisy Goodwin returns with a story of the scandalous love affair between the most celebrated opera singer of all time and one of the richest men in the world.

In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas was known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she was the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. But her fame was hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her golden voice, she learned early in life to protect herself from those who would use her for their own ends.

When she met the fabulously rich Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, for the first time in her life, she believed she’d found someone who saw the woman within the legendary soprano. She fell desperately in love. He introduced her to a life of unbelievable luxury, showering her with jewels and sojourns in the most fashionable international watering holes with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

And then suddenly, it was over. The international press announced that Aristotle Onassis would marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.

In this remarkable novel, Daisy Goodwin brings to life a woman whose extraordinary talent, unremitting drive and natural chic made her a legend. But it was only in confronting the heartbreak of losing the man she loved that Maria Callas found her true voice and went on to triumph.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250833990
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/04/2025
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

DAISY GOODWIN is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels The American Heiress and The Fortune Hunter. She attended Columbia University's film school as a Harkness scholar after earning a degree in history at Cambridge University, and was Chair of the judging panel of the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction. She is the screenwriter and executive producer of the PBS/Masterpiece drama Victoria. She lives in London.

Editorial Reviews

10/02/2023

Goodwin (Victoria) returns with a diverting tale of opera singer Maria Callas (1923–1977). A prologue introduces 17-year-old Maria, who’s been taken by her headstrong mother from New York City to Athens, Greece, where she studies under the famous soprano Elvira de Hidalgo. The action is split between Maria’s career and love life in the 1950s and ’60s and her reflections on a difficult childhood. Her mother favored her older and thinner sister, Jackie, and exploited Maria’s natural talent by making her sing in the streets of Athens for food during WWII. As a performer, she works hard at her craft with a rigorous rehearsal schedule and adopts a strict diet after losing the top role at La Scala because of her weight. In 1957, she meets Aristotle Onassis, the richest man in the world, who is married, and they begin an affair. Captivated by his extravagant gifts and exhilarating touch, Maria begins to question whether life on stage is all there is. Though Goodwin’s portrayal of Maria’s troubling family dynamics lack depth—Maria’s continued resentment toward her sister later in life is unexamined—the author vividly evokes mid-century celebrity culture in Maria’s encounters with Richard Burton, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, and others. Readers will enjoy stepping into the heels of the famous opera performer. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Diva:

"I was blown away by Diva. Beautiful, visceral, tragic, gutting." —Miranda Cowley Heller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace

"The spectacular Daisy Goodwin has written Diva, an epic novel about Maria Callas in love that hits every note and soars off the page. You will root for Callas as she navigates her dynamic career and a love affair that will break her heart. Told with tenderness and power, this is bravura storytelling in the hands of a master." —Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

“Elegant, adult, ultimately very moving, Diva presents an amazingly convincing Maria, while always conveying the power of the majestic Callas myth.” —Laura Thompson, New York Times bestselling author of The Six: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters

"I've been completely overwhelmed by Diva: by the pleasure of reading such a marvellous ardent, romantic yet utterly worldly book…Quick, where are my Callas records…” —Lady Antonia Fraser, national bestselling author of Marie Antoinette: The Journey

“With its glamour, celebrity and heartbreak, this is the unstoppable story of ambition and desire that enchantress Daisy Goodwin was born to write.” —Lucy Worsley, host of the hit PBS series "Lucy Worsley Investigates" and bestselling author of Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman and Jane Austen at Home: A Biography

"Daisy Goodwin's richly imagined world makes Diva an irresistible page-turner. Blending high drama with an artist's eye for detail, Goodwin breathes life into one of the greatest and most tragic stars of the 20th century. Whether you're an opera aficionado or simply love an epic tale of love and ambition, Diva is a pure delight." —Dr. Amanda Foreman, New York Times bestselling author of Georgiana and A World on Fire

"Daisy Goodwin is a genius storyteller, fashioning the most delicious, insider gossip into a tale full of heartbreak, love, ambition, and brutal disappointment." —Nina de Gramont, bestselling author of The Christie Affair

"Daisy Goodwin’s immersion in the life of Maria Callas has yielded a jewel of a novel, as tormentingly seductive as any diamond necklace given to her by her faithless lover, Onassis." —Rose Tremain, award-winning author of Restoration and Lily: A Tale of Revenge

"When Ms. Goodwin conjures the craft and grace of the hardworking singer who traced each bel canto phrase like a sinuous, unbroken 'line of ink' she does it well... Diva paints in bold, primary colors... [while exhibiting] subtler touches as Callas squanders the irreplaceable 'gold coin' of her unique talent." —Wall Street Journal

"VERDICT: Brava! Historical-fiction enthusiasts, fans of La Callas, and others will relish this view into the tumultuous love affair of a power couple; they’ll offer a standing ovation when, in the novel’s 'Final Curtain,' the opera singer discovers her true voice." —Library Journal, starred review

"Dazzling...Diva sparkles with glamour, glimmers with hope, and is emblazoned with female empowerment." —Shelf Awareness

"Fascinating, tender and richly-imagined." —Toronto Star

"The lifestyle of the wealthy and the adoration of the musical world are set in contrast to Maria’s inner turmoil and her strength as she struggles to overcome betrayal. [Goodwin] presents it all with clarity, empathy, and insight, and combines high drama with meticulous detail." —Historical Novel Society

From the Publisher

★ 11/01/2023

Goodwin's (The Fortune Hunter; The Last Duchess) latest historical novel covers more than a decade of world-renowned soprano Maria Callas's life and several foundational childhood flashbacks. When Callas and Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis meet in 1957, they are both married, but a spark is ignited. They soon begin a passionate affair that spans nearly a decade. Callas performs at international venues for adoring fans, is lavishly adorned in Dior and Cartier, enjoys caviar and champagne, and cruises the Mediterranean on Onassis's yacht Christina. Her social circle includes Hollywood royalty and political figureheads such as Princess Grace, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Callas also experiences vulnerability and heartbreak. She is exploited by those closest to her, struggles with her body image, fights jealousy as Onassis openly pursues other women, and worries about prematurely losing her famous voice. VERDICT Brava! Historical-fiction enthusiasts, fans of La Callas, and others will relish this view into the tumultuous love affair of a power couple; they'll offer a standing ovation when, in the novel's "Final Curtain," the opera singer discovers her true voice.—Mary Todd Chesnut

Library Journal

Listeners will have a grand time with Lorelei King's versatile narration of this fictionalized account of the life of famed opera singer Maria Callas. Listeners will feel as though they are globe-trotting alongside Callas as she performs in the classic opera houses of Europe and the U.S. King gives Callas a slightly detached, poised tone as she rehearses and performs, and socializes with the rich and famous of the 1950s and 1960s--including Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and, of course, her longtime lover, Aristotle Onassis. King excels at switching among Greek, Italian, British, French, and American accents. While the story focuses on Callas's career and romantic life, including her unsatisfying marriage to her manager, King also brings forth the resentments that existed between Callas and her critical mother. M.J. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2024 - AudioFile