This biography provides insight into the life and work of one of the greatest divas of our contemporary history. The reader accompanies Maria Callas through her greatest triumphs, but also through her greatest defeats. What is particularly surprising is the constant insecurity and vulnerability of this seemingly self-confident woman. This makes the character Maria Callas human and allows us to look behind the perfect facade. The conflict with her mother from her childhood days shapes her as much as her restrictive marriage and her passionate but luckless affair with the bon vivant Aristotles Onassis. Maria tries to find her place between the stage, a luxurious jet-set life and the longing for the ideal image of a caring woman at the side of her beloved husband. Over the years her voice suffers, which was always her greatest fear, but with her growing experience she is able to bring roles to life and captivate her audience. An impressive biography about a great artist who has everything and still remains in search of her place in the world. Absolutely worth reading.

I’m not an opera fan, but I do remember Maria Callas being the subject of press attention in the 1950s and 1960s. She was, as the title suggests, the diva of the day and her private and professional life was always reported. With that in mind, I felt this fictional account of her life and loves us both lively and accurate. It captures the essence of the lady and those around her. The narration throughout is superb. Maria has real substance and the writing reflects a conflicted character who both craved and feared the spotlight. She was used and abused by many around her. Her first husband saw her as a money pot and had little regard for her physical or mental health as she jetted around the world performing in every significant venue, The timeline moves back and forth between her early years and her prime as a singer. Without doubt, her voice was spectacular and there are snippets within the recording. Her fame came at personal cost, particularly after her relationship with Onassis. Here was a woman seeking genuine love and friendship, but she was treated as a possession. I thought the portrayal of Elsa Maxwell particularly compelling; she was the means to the rich and famous and the celebrity culture was alive and well many decades ago, There’s much name dropping; the Windsors, Dietrich, Lollobrigida, Bardot…the list is endless but in this context it really fleshes out the times and the society circles that Callas was frequenting. I’ve really enjoyed this title. Surprisingly detailed, it would make a cracking film.

Inspired by the life of Maria Callas, the iconic soprano, this is an enjoyable and emotional story. It is engaging historical fiction that dramatically portrays the rise of a diva in a time that worshipped musical artists and film stars like gods. It evokes the life of a successful opera singer well, showing the commitment, stamina and sacrifice necessary to maintain and improve a unique talent. The epic love story with Onassis is equally heartwarming and heartbreaking. It's lyrically written, full of historical detail illuminated by the author's interpretation of the players in Maria's life. I loved the story's characters, relatability and immersive qualities. It's an entertaining read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I’ve read books about Maria Callas before, and listened to her music, so was fascinated to read a fictional book about her life that has a lot of factual elements to it. The story about the love triangle with Maria, Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy is well known but this book brought a lot of additional detail to the party. Well written and clearly very well researched this was a compelling read. Briefly, Maria was born in New York but when her parents separated her mother took her and her sister back to Greece. Her mother was very ambitious for her girls and when she realised Maria had a talent she over committed her risking her voice for short term gain. Maria became estranged from her mother and she married a man who became her manager but when she met Aristotle Onassis, a Greek shipping magnate she fell in love for the first time. He pursued her until she capitulated and started their affair. Maria Callas was a slim, attractive woman with an amazing voice and the world at her feet. She was ‘la divina’ when she was on stage, confident and adored. Maria however felt like a different creature, lacking in confidence, believing herself unloved and maybe even unloveable, that is until she met Onassis. A man she believed loved her, Maria, not Maria Calllas the famous opera singer. I felt so much sadness for Maria. All she really wanted was a loving family to replace the family she grew up in where she never felt loved. Much of the time I felt like I was reading a memoir it was so authentic. I very much enjoyed this book, a wonderful fictionalised account of the life of probably one the worlds most famous operatic soprano’s, ever!

Having read other reader’s’ reviews I wasn’t entirely sold on this book. However I was pleasantly surprised. The way it is written is more like a fictional novel than biography: exciting, compulsive and fast paced. I’m not an opera buff, but Maria Callas sings her heart out in this book and is truly a Diva of her era. Her life story, a nobody to fame, is fascinating and her romance with Aristotle Onassis unreal. A magnificent read. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Aria & Aries for this advance copy.