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    The Doctor and the Diva: A Novel
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    The Doctor and the Diva: A Novel
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    The Doctor and the Diva: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    The Doctor and the Diva: A Novel

    Written by Adrienne McDonnell

    Narrated by Orlagh Cassidy

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A breathtaking novel of romantic obsession, longing and one woman's choice between motherhood and her operatic callingIt 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 22, 2010
    ISBN9781101154632
    Unavailable
    The Doctor and the Diva: A Novel
    Author

    Adrienne McDonnell

    Adrienne McDonnell has taught literature and fiction writing at the University of California, Berkeley. The Doctor and the Diva is based in part on the true story of her son’s great-great grandmother. McDonnell was inspired by hundreds of pages of family letters and memories of elderly relatives, long haunted by the story. Chosen by the American Booksellers Association as an Indie Next Notable Book, rights to the The Doctor and the Diva have sold in ten countries. McDonnell lives near San Francisco. The Doctor and the Diva is her first novel.

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    Reviews for The Doctor and the Diva

    3.5/5

    17 ratings17 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I did enjoy this book even though some of the choices of the characters are not necessarly ones people will agree with. I found myself being sympethetic with Erika. As a professional business woman who suffered with infertility for 5 years and did finally have 2 daughters of my own. I felt her torn feelings between motherhood and her hearts desire. Life is not clear cut like most people want it to be and this story explores the many difficult decisions people have to make and their effects.
    • 4/5
      A talented young woman, Erika von Kessler is torn between wanting a child and a career as an opera singer. Her husband desires only the child and when they have difficult conceiving, consult many doctors. Finally Dr. Ravell helps them but in an unconventional way which puts him firmly in the lives of Erika and her husband. Set in pre-WW I the plot moves between New York, Trindad and Italy. Ordinary tale and the most interesting parts are the fertility problem and role of the physician and the process of becoming an opera singer. Ending is more realistic than romantic.
    • 4/5
      Erika von Kessler comes from a family of renowned Boston physicians. She has married a wealthy man, but longs to expand her talents as an opera singer to the stages of Italy. Erika’s husband Peter, however, longs for a child and will stop at nothing to be ensured of an heir. After years of infertility, the couple turns to Doctor Ravell, a young Harvard educated physician whose star is rising in the field of gynecology…specifically in helping couples to conceive. Beginning in 1903 and spanning nearly a decade, The Doctor and The Diva is about a woman who ultimately must choose between her career as an opera singer and her life as a wife and mother.Adrienne McDonnell was inspired to write her first novel based on the true life of her son’s paternal great-great-grandmother who deserted her prominent Boston husband in order to further her operatic career in Italy. McDonnell has carefully researched the medical history of infertility treatment (I was amazed to learn that artificial insemination had been practiced as early as 1785 in Scotland). By the mid-nineteenth century, cutting edge doctors were beginning to recognize the the failure to conceive could not always be blamed on the woman – a point which becomes crucial in the plot for this novel. McDonnell artfully weaves all these facts into a spellbinding story that takes the reader from Boston to the coconut plantations of the Caribbean to the splendor of Florence, Italy.Although there is a hefty dose of romance mixed into this historical novel, the character of Erika represents the strong-minded, intelligent women whose desire to pursue their careers over motherhood placed them on the edge of societal acceptance. It was the exploration of women’s rights which captured my imagination in the novel above all else.The Doctor and the Diva is an exquisitely crafted story about one woman’s quest to pursue her art, about the barriers which women in the 1900′s faced when deciding to follow their dreams, and about the conflicting emotions when a woman wants it all (spouse, children and career) at a time when societal expectations were quite rigid. This is also an excellent look at medical practice in the field of obstetrics and gynecology during the early part of the twentieth century. McDonnell poses some interesting moral dilemmas which Doctor Ravell faces…and the way in which he resolves them would make for great discussion in a book group.I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful book. Readers who love historical fiction and are interested in women’s issues during the 1900′s will want to read this novel.Recommended.
    • 4/5
      Living in Boston in 1906, Erica Von Kessler has high hopes of being an opera star. Her husband, Peter, has a differing opinion of Erica's career choice and is constantly herding her from one doctor to another in hopes of having their fertility issues resolved. When Erica and Peter engage the services of Dr. Ravell, Peter is very hopeful that Ravell's incredible advancements in the field will solve their problem once and for all. But Erica is far from being hopeful and it's her despondency over her infertility that prompts Dr. Ravell to make an extreme decision that will drastically alter all three of their lives forever. After the fateful decision of Dr. Ravell fails to bear fruit, Erica and Peter begin to grow apart and they once again rely upon the doctor to help them conceive a child together. When Erica's dreams of being an opera star begin to come to fruition, Peter, Ravell and Erica step into a dance of secrecy, deceit, and complicity that weave them together more tightly than any natural bond could ever hope to. Part historical drama and part love story, The Doctor and the Diva explores the conflicting desires of two men and one woman whose dream of the perfect child might just be their downfall.I had serious reservations about this book stemming mainly from the feelings the title gave me. Knowing nothing other than the title, I had expected this book to be more of a bodice-ripper rather than any type of serious piece of literature. What I found was actually very surprising, because McDonnell's skill brought forth a lot of sensitive issues and imbued them with a relevance and resonance that I found to be not only abundantly entertaining, but also very provocative and thoughtful.The situation early in the book between Erica and her husband was rather alarming. Erica's sole ambition is to become an opera singer and she was born with a voice to give this dream power. But Peter won't hear of Erica doing anything other than preparing herself to bear his offspring and forces her to consult with doctor after doctor in order to fulfill his desires. I was sad for Erica and felt that Peter was taking her dreams from her with his ceaseless badgering. The book made me feel a little angry at the realization that during this period in history, a woman existed solely to fulfill the desires of her husband and not much else. I grew apprehensive that Peter would end up controlling Erica's life and that her chance to sing would be extinguished. I didn't want Erica to get pregnant, because by doing so, she would be feeding Peter's ambition to control her life, and I felt that Erica didn't deserve that.When Peter and Erica meet Ravell, things begin to change. Far from being a proponent of Peter's ideas, he sees a side of Erica that no one else seems to. When he questions her about her desire to have a child, she admits that it's something that she wants but it's not the only thing, and that because she has been repeatedly thwarted in her efforts, she has now become focused on the opera. When Ravell makes his decision to do the impossible for Erica and Peter, he sets into motion a series of events that are irrevocable and intense. He will give Erica what she wants, in every sense, but to do this, he must not only deceive her, he must also pay the price for his actions. As Peter and Erica's lives begin to move in harmony, Ravell's begins to fall apart, and it's arguable whether this is Ravell's due.After a time, the three cross paths again, yet everything about them and their situations has changed. Curiously, Ravell remains dogged in efforts to please them both, though they both want very different things. In this respect, Ravell reveals his selflessness and altruism, but one can see that his motives are not always pure. As Ravell moves in and out of the couple's lives, he gives and takes in equal measure, and though Peter and Erica make their own choices, it's easy to see Ravell's hand in everything they do. These characters are all very interesting specimens, because while you can root for them and dream with them, they can also be very selfish and self-serving. In a few cases they can even become villains, though they all share this role equally. It's easy to see why they do the things that they do, but underneath, it's also easy to see how wrong they are.When the book reaches it's final section, three lives have come full circle, and it is time for dues to be paid. This is one thing I most liked about the book. No one gets off scot-free, no one can say that they've not had to make sacrifices and adjustments. There's an undercurrent of perfectly culled drama running through this story and it remains intact without ever getting hysterical or overblown. These characters grow and change and their lives become much more than they had been. The three are also somewhat diminished by their experiences as well, which is a point I feel was handled beautifully. So much gain, yet so much loss.Though I didn't expect to love this book, the fact is that I did and I think many others will as well. It was a touching story full of interesting ideas and perplexing questions, and those readers who like to get really invested in their characters' plights will find a treasure trove to keep them satisfied. The story was complex and involving without being overly florid and the book had the distinct advantage of being a bit on the unpredictable side. I know I'm going to be looking forward to reading more from this author and I urge you not to let the title of this book run you off. A surprisingly good read.
    • 4/5
      I really wanted to like this book much more than I ended up doing. It was well-written, the story is compelling, the settings are all ones I'm familiar with and enjoy. But the characters ended up being ones I disliked intensely, and it's hard to explain why without giving away the entire story. Supposedly based on real people who are relatives of the author's son--the relationship was difficult to follow in her acknowledgments--the story of opera, gynecology, infertility treatment, and women's rights to a career and motherhood was one that McDonnell handled well. I just didn't like the people, the choices they made, or the consequences of their actions. That doesn't mean it wasn't a good book. It was. The story just left me very depressed-- or as my granddaughter is wont to say "Too bad, so sad."Essentially Erika wants to be an opera singer. She is the daughter of a doctor, she is well educated, and for a well-bred woman of her social position living in the early 20th century in Boston, she has a great deal of personal freedom. Her husband Peter appears to adore her. He wants a baby badly, more we think to cement his image as the great provider and macho man, than because he has any great paternal instincts. Erika wants a baby because it will please Peter. At least they share a great sexual attraction, and the author often provides us much evidence of that side of the relationship.Enter Dr. Ravell (do we ever learn his full name?), a new age gynecologist the couple consults to help with their inability to conceive. Apparently artificial insemination was being practiced in the early 1900's and no one talked about it. This was especially convenient since Peter (the husband) had a tendency to wander to exotic places as he pursued his 'business affairs' leaving Erika in the capable hands of the good doctor to be impregnated during his absence.As the years pass, Erika has to deal with her increasing desire to go to Italy to study opera and become famous with her waxing/waning desire to have a child. I won't say why, but Ravell leaves town to run a coconut plantation in Trinidad, and the von Kesslers go for a visit to continue treatments (as far as Peter is concerned). Eventually Erika makes a heart-breaking decision to abandon Peter and her child to go to Florence to live a life of penury while pursuing her career. Yes they have a child, but I'll the details for the reader to discover.We are supposed to feel sorry for her having to leave her child behind. The child is the one who is truly abandoned because the mother is in Italy and the father is still gallivanting around the world. There is what is supposed to be a 'happily ever after' ending but perhaps because the choices are different than those I would have made, I don't see them as happy. It is a good book. It is a great read - even with an excess of details and choices that beg belief--it is a novel that will leap onto book discussion lists for several years. There's a lot to toss back and forth. These are characters that many will champion and others will vilify. Nobody will read the book and come away without an opinion.
    • 2/5
      "I Swear, I Will Win"“Lo giurai, la vincero.” Mezzo soprano Erika von Kessler sings these words in an Italian opera aria while fulfilling her dream of a stage career toward the end of this book. It is 1903. Women had babies and raised families. Some women opted for careers in the arts. Erika wants both and will do what is necessary to “win”. Ms. McDonnell’s debut novel stems from letters collected by her family about an ancestor pursuing an operatic career. Although the author writes passionately about a singer’s struggle to balance career and family, I found a steady downward spiral in the credibility of her three main characters. I was impressed with the author’s substantive knowledge of fertility practices at the time but grew weary of the salient detail of such and the endless parade of lovemaking scenes. I wanted to like this book because I am a singer, but I found the novel predictable and its characters left me cold.Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
    • 5/5
      Peter and his wife, Erika, are desperate for a baby. They've been trying for years, but no luck. They meet Ravell, a doctor who's had a great deal of luck with couples that have problems conceiving.Erika is also training to be an opera singer. Shortly after they begin fertility treatments (and although it's the early 1900s, they use a lot of the same treatments we use today--artificial insemination and in vitro--apparently they've been used for a long time, just not talked about), she realizes that she's sort of torn about being a mother. On the one hand, she'd like to have a child, but on the other, she wants to be an opera singer. The two would be hard to blend now, but in 1903, they'd be just about impossible to mesh.It's best if that's all you know heading into this novel. One of the things I love about historical fiction is that it gives me a glimpse into a world that's completely foreign to me, yet shows that things haven't changed all that much. For example, obviously, I don't know what it's like to wear a corset or to feel like if I were to have a baby, I'd have to give up my dreams. But I do know the feeling of knowing that I won't be able to do everything perfectly. You can't have two full-time jobs and do both to the absolute 100% of your abilities 100% of the time. A lot of people will probably condemn Erika for the choices she makes, but I completely understood. It helps that McDonnell makes her an incredibly sympathetic character (even as she makes mistakes over and over) so that you can't help but want her to achieve her dream of becoming a famous opera singer in Italy.This is Adrienne McDonnell's first novel and I hope there are many more to come. I can't wait to see what other worlds she creates.
    • 4/5
      The Doctor and the Diva is a lushly written novel that explores the relationship between a doctor who specializes in fertility treatments, and a husband and wife who come to him for help concieving a child.While, I found the book to be well written, I am a bit unsure as to how I feel about it. On the one hand, I loved the details of the settings and time period that the author works into the narrative. I had perfect pictures in my mind of the streets of Boston or the plantation in Trinidad. I also liked the details about the fertility treatments of the time. Its fascinating to know about the "modern" origins of that form of medical treatment. The delicacy that doctors had to use when addressing the husband's role was unsurprising, but amusing.However, I found I had difficulty connecting with any of the characters. Erika seemed very distant and it was difficult to form a picture of her character. Peter, her husband, was always described as "childlike" in his manner and behaviour and it was difficult to feel sympathy towards him. Doctor Ravell was the most interesting of the three, but again I found it difficult to feel a connection towards him.Overall, I would say this is a well written story, however it missing something to make me connect with it on a more emotional level
    • 4/5
      This review contains spoilers. This book is about a love triangle between a doctor who specializes in fertility, and an infertile couple trying to have a child. The book is set in early 20th century and therefore the technology surrounding fertility is a little less advanced than what we have now. I especially enjoyed the author's knowledge on the subject. Erika is unable to conceive a child with her husband, Peter, and as a result the two go to see Dr. Ravell. In the end the couple end up befriending Ravell and eventually Erika falls in love with the doctor and he with him. I do not want to give away too much of the plot but I have to say I am a bit undecided about how I feel about the book. In many ways, I enjoyed reading the novel and wanted to know what happened next but in many other ways I was quite frustrated with the plausibility of the scenarios in the novel. I was also quite frustrated by the lack of moral compass in each of the three main characters. For one, Ravell switches out Peter's sperm for his own when he discovers that Peter is unable to produce a child. He seems to do this without much vassilation and doesn't seem too guilty about it either. Ravell seems more concerned about getting caught and the consequences to him rather than the consequences on the other two characters who are supposed to be his friends. Erika, near the conclusion of the book, abandons her child with Peter to pursue a career in opera singing. Not only does she physically leave him but she cuts off contact with her son the minute someone tells her it would be for his own good. Any mother who claimed to have as much love for her child as Erika claimed, would never cut off all contact with her son for a reason as selfish as hers. The character of Peter also seems to be less than believable in his ability to emotionally cut people off. He is constantly travelling and never once sacrifices for his wife or his son in this novel. As I say I did enjoy the writing style of this book but quickly became frustrated with the characters. I felt like yelling at them more than once while reading this. That is not to say I hated the novel. If I had I wouldn't have been as caught up in the plot as I had been. One other disappoint was the way the novel ended; I felt that there was no real conclusion and things hadn't really been wrapped up. Overall I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
    • 4/5
      Although this type of book is not my chosen genre, I read it because I was asked to do an early review on it. This is a debut novel for Ms. McDonnell and she has great writing talents. The book is about one woman’s obsession with her divine singing voice and the burden that it places on her to pursue an operatic career. It is set in the early 20 th century (1903 – 1914). The story takes place in Boston, in Trinidad and in Florence, Italy. The novel has a majestic scope and it is an ambitious project . Ms. McDonnell delivers. Her characters are real and you feel their love, pain and obsessions. There is a lot about singing and opera in the book, but that adds to the authenticity. It is obvious that Ms. McDonnell is familiar with that world. It was inspiring to me to see how this one woman sacrificed everything to follow a dream.
    • 3/5
      This book has a subtle elegance to it. The story, covering an 11 year time period from 1903 to 1914, follows the lives of two main characters: Erika Myrick, a woman from a prominant Boston medical family with career ambitions of becoming a renowned mezzo-soprano opera singer, and Doctor Ravell, a younger Harvard-educated obstetrician. Erika and her husband Peter approach Doctor Ravell, through Erika's family connections, in the hope that Ravell may be the doctor that will help them conceive a child. In the process, Ravell and Erika each come to face difficult choices for their careers and their futures.Fertility treatment specialist isn't a term that was widely used over 100 years ago, even though amazing medical breakthroughs in this field pre-date the start of the 20th century so I found the substance of the medical background in the story quite fascinating to read. The story vividly captures Boston society, the cosmopolitan nature of Italy and the lush plantation life of Trinidad of the time period. Unfortunately, I found the characters rather two-dimensional and wooden in their emotional delivery, which made the story drag at times. The story may appeal to individuals that enjoy stories with operatic backgrounds or involve historical travels to exotic places.Overall, not bad for a debut novel.
    • 2/5
      While the story itself should be intriguing, I found the execution clumsy and was distracted by the many details and comments which felt jarring given the historical context. I can hardly imagine a gentleman in 1903 couching his refusal to adopt by saying “I admire people who do it.” Just one of many instances where it felt like the author’s 21st Century attitudes infringed on the spirit of the story. And a male lead named Ravell, in a novel consumed by music? It felt heavy-handed and had me cringing right from the first sentence. As a music lover, particularly of opera, it was difficult to excuse errors with the musical selections, some of which were shockingly unsuited to the time period (though the author does acknowledge that her choice of Vivaldi was motivated more by personal tastes than by historical accuracy). In the end, I found the want of subtlety too frustrating and so abandoned the book without finishing.
    • 4/5
      Happily, I liked this book much more than I thought I would. What put me off was the cover and the title but I requested it through LTER anyway because of the book's description.This book is well-written and easy to read. I got caught up in the story quickly and my interest was held throughout. The author did a great job in building tension and leading the reader smoothly through the story. I mostly liked the characters; again the author did a great job in evoking feelings of empathy for some of them. I also felt a good degree of squeamishness when reading about the main character's experiences in her effort to become pregnant.This was definitely a good read and despite the title (which reminds me of some sort of lurid romance novel and, I think, detracts from the main characters) was well worth my reading time.
    • 4/5
      This story takes place in the early 1900's and is about the complicated and unusual relationship between a woman, her husband and her fertility doctor. The woman, named Erika is an up and coming opera singer. She originally feels desperate to have children, but after some time and countless medical procedures, she accepts that she will remain without children and she throws her energy and passion into her career. Her husband Peter has not begun to give up hope and continues to drag her from one appoitment to another. They meet Ravell who is a doctor in Boston that has had great success with fertility work. Erika and Peter develop a friendship with Ravell, both as a couple and as individuals. The shifts and changes in their relationships occur over a period of many years and takes the story to the plantations of Trinidad and the opera houses of Italy. Although I didn't always like Erika, I did find her personal journey to be interesting and engaging. I also thought the author did a great job with the settings. I have a vivid picture in my head of both the plantation and the various settings in Italy. I did enjoy this book and have only one critisism. I think the title is just awful. It reminds me of some mass publication romance paperback and really misrepresents the quality of the good story that it is.
    • 4/5
      I was quite impressed by this first effort by McDonnell. The title is quite misleading because it's not really a romance novel at all. Instead, it is at first, a fascinating look at fertility at the turn of the century and the prevailing notion that it must always be the female's fault. It is also, or at least it starts out to be, a dangerous love triangle between the doctor, the diva and the husband. The first half had me riveted but I must admit, I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. It was a book that didn't really need to have everything all tied up nicely into a Hollywood ending and so I felt that McDonnell took the easy way out. I hope next time, she is willing take some chances and break the rules a little. There are so many ways this book could have gone and it would have been as good if not better.
    • 3/5
      The Doctor and the Diva is an easy and entertaining read taking place between 1903 and 1914. Erica leaves her husband and son behind in Boston to pursue an opera career in Italy. This is a romance novel and if it is a little breathy and unrealistic from time to time most readers will forgive that. Erica and her wealthy Boston husband, Peter, desperately want a child and they seek medical assistance from Dr Ravell, a prominent Harvard -educated obstetrician. Dr Ravell is building his career and he too longs to satisfy the couple's yearning for a child. The three of them become very close friends, a dangerous love triangle that will change all of their lives. And Dr Ravell makes a difficult and dangerous decision to help Peter and Erica gain their heart's desire.The book is a good summer escapist read and while far from brilliant or literary , it succeeds as an interesting story. Enjoy
    • 4/5
      Do not be deterred by the cover from reading this debut romance novel set in 1903. It is much more than a simple romance book and tells the story of a woman who after years of infertility, finds herself pregnant with the longed for child and her life changed forever by the doctor who made this miracle possible.The details of infertility treatment in 1903 prove very interesting. After the baby's arrival she finds her desire to pursue a career as an opera singer is stll strong & struggles with the ramifications of leaving her husband & child in England for opera training in Italy. The story is told in beautiful detail not only from the woman's point of view but also that of the doctor & the child. I was quickly caught me up in the story and found the book hard to put down until all 432 pages were read. The Doctor and The Diva was an easy and enjoyable read. I would definately recommend it to other female readers.