Diva

by Daisy Goodwin

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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Music, Historical, Adult

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 23, 2024

About the author

DAISY GOODWIN, a Harkness scholar who attended Columbia University’s film school after earning a degree in history at Cambridge University, is a leading television producer in the U.K. Her poetry anthologies, including 101 Poems That Could Save Your Life, have introduced many new readers to the pleasures of poetry, and she was Chair of the judging panel of the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction. That was the year she published her first novel the American Heiress ( My Last Duchess in UK) , followed by The Fortune Hunter and now Victoria. She has also created VICTORIA the PBS/ITV series which starts in January. She has three dogs, two dogs, and one husband.

Reviews

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diva by Daisy Goodwin is a Historical and Romance Fiction Story!

I never would have imagined reading this story about the gifted and talented Opera Soprano Maria Callas. Not in a million years...

...but here I am devouring it as it describes bits and pieces of Maria's early life, in flashbacks, sandwiched between her brilliant career and her life before and during her relationship with Aristotle Onassis. To tell you anything more would spoil your experience of reading Diva...

What I will tell you is that there's much more to know about Maria than what was offered in the gossip columns. I found Maria's life to be impacted and influenced by the relationships she established through the years. A few were lasting ones, most were not. Maria developed self-control and acumen concerning her voice and performance. The rewards for her passion and commitment were thunderous applause, cheering, and numerous curtain calls that established her as “la divina", the divine one. As a result, her personal life took a backstage to her career.

This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted DRC and ALC. The audiobook is narrated by Lorelei King whose voicing skills are consistently excellent and, as a result, I recommend the audiobook as the preferred format for this story.

Daisy Goodwin has written an enjoyable and interesting book about Maria Callas's fascinating life. My only critique is the use of character dialog to relay information rather than focusing on creative writing skills to allow the story to flow more naturally. A little fluff is fun, often desirable, and this is fiction, after all.

The ending? It left me wishing the author had continued the story of Maria's life after Onassis...

3.75⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Daisy Goodwin for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diva weaves the story of Maria Callas, the most celebrated opera singer of her time, and her relationship with Aristotle Onassis, Greek tycoon.

The story begins in 1968 with Maria trying to get over what has just happened. After a nine-year romance with Onassis, she learns about his newly announced marriage to Jackie Kennedy. The world she built around her and tried to protect for so long is crumbling now.

The novel interestingly weaves the backstories. Maria was born in New York, but was taken back to the country of her parents and raised there during the Nazi-occupied Greece by her mother who exploited her miraculous voice. Later, Maria marries a man who just sees her voice which makes good money, but he doesn’t see her as a woman. When she meets Onassis, she feels seen for the first time as a woman.

They meet in Italy in 1957. Onassis doesn’t like opera, but he likes Maria. She is offended by his arrogance and doesn’t accept an invitation to his yacht. But Onassis doesn’t give up and continues to pursue her. He showers her with expensive jewelry and holidays, introducing her to the most famous celebrities of the time.

The story ends with Onassis marrying Jackie and quickly realizing that Maria was probably the love of his life. I hoped the story would continue after their split, but it ends sharply after the split.

This story is authentically presented, vividly painting a portrait of a strong woman, who at the same time is ready to give up her career for a man she deeply loves. I enjoy stories of real people told in the first person, but there are some explicit scenes that feel invasive.

The characters are well-fleshed-out, making the experience, for most part, feel very real. Also, there is a realistic presentation of Maria’s preparations and her worries of knowing that it’s a matter of time when her singing career will end.

The story changes time and place flawlessly, and with engaging prose weaves a fascinating story.

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is coming out at the perfect time. It’s the 100th year anniversary of her birth. I was curious about Maria Callas. I knew she was a famous soprano, but have never heard a recording of her voice (something I have since rectified). I was more familiar with her relationship with Aristotle Onassis.
The book succeeds as an historical fiction in that it taught me something I didn’t know. In addition to learning about both her life and Onassis’s, there were interesting facts about Greece during WWII and afterwards during the Civil War.
My fault with the book involved Godwin’s style. I found the writing to be basic, to the point of being boring. Also, way too much was made over her clothes and figure. And there’s a soap opera feel to the way Goodwin tells the story - too much sex and dramatics for my taste. But at the end of the book, I felt like I had a good feel for who she was, the sacrifices required to be a successful opera singer and how her personal life made her an even better opera singer.
It was also interesting to learn of the initial interactions between Ari and Jackie.
I would have also liked to have learned more about Elsa Maxwell. Goodwin was a little too covert about her feelings for Maria. I kept getting these vibes like she had a crush on Maria. I actually had to google her to learn if she was a lesbian.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Callas was a world famous opera singer, a diva and was known as la the divine one. Maria had one of the best Soprano voices of all time and don't mention her trills, when she took to the stage her performances were perfect and flawless and many of her fans cried tears of joy.

Maria was born in 1923, in Manhattan, New York to Greek parents, her mother Litza was domineering and decided to return to Greece when Maria was thirteen and leave her husband George. Maria never felt good enough and her sister Jackie was her mother’s favourite, Maria sang during the Second World War so they could eat and it didn't change her mothers attitude towards her. Maria married Giovanni Meneghini, he was in charge of her schedule, and he expected her to sing too often and she worried her vocal chords would be damaged from overuse.

Maria encounters rich shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, she falls madly in love with him and the couple are together for over nine years. During this time Maria meets some of the world most influential people, including Sir Winston and Lady Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Prince Rainer III of Monaco and Princess Grace. Ari showered Maria with expensive gifts, cruises on his lavish boat the "Christina", despite both being divorced Maria and Ari never married and it was the security and faithfulness she craved and not diamonds.

I received a copy of Diva by Daisy Goodwin from Aria & Aries and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. In my opinion Ms. Goodwin wrote about the real Maria Callas, the teenager who felt her mother didn’t love her, Maria was chubby, she lost weight and constantly worried about putting back on, she always felt unsure, where to preform and how many shows, what songs to sing, should she sign a record contract and give into pressure to make a movie?

When Maria finds out Aristotle Onassis had married the former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, she’s heartbroken and of course he didn’t tell her. For Maria this was a defining moment, with the help of her faithful maid and companion Bruna, Maria decided she wanted to start singing again, and opera is her true love and she’s better than ever. Ms. Goodwin's narrative was fascinating, well written and I rode the highs and lows of Maria Callas’s career, her personal life and five stars from me.

[Alexis Hall]

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.

*******************************************

I think writing fictionalised biography is super hard. Simply because fiction is satisfying and ordered in a way that real life rarely is—you know, it offers thematic resonance, emotional trajectories, structure, coherence, catharsis. To be honest, this is probably why I enjoy WWE over, y’know, actual sport. I mention this because, for me, Diva probably does the best it can with the material, given the material in question, is the complicated, messy life of a real person (to the extent it takes a fair few liberties, especially with timelines, and joins a lot of emotional dots that can only be speculative) but runs up against the limitation of art imitating life, and vice versa, less than is emotionally satisfying.

All of which is to say, I liked Diva, I appreciated many of the choices it made in terms of foreground Callas’s personhood, not just her emotional life but her agency, especially as regards her art, but I didn’t—in the end—love it. I know. I know. It’s a book inspired by the life of Maria Callas. Take away my queer card.

Rather than attempting to encompass the whole sweep of Callas’s life, Diva focuses on the approximately ten-year segment that covers her love affair with Greek billionaire, Aristotle Onassis, and his eventual betrayal. Through well-chosen of flashbacks/memories, the book also touches on aspects of Callas’s childhood, including her traumatic relationship with her mother, and her toxic marriage to her first husband, Giovanni Meneghini. I felt the book did a good of job of allowing Callas to be a fully dimensioned character. It doesn’t shy from her flaws, her arrogance, her mercurial temperament, her volatility, but it also highlights her passion and commitment to her art, her extraordinary will and her human vulnerability.

One of the complicated things about the way we tend to deal with the lives of exceptionally talented women in general—and Callas is no exception to this—is an icky cultural need to turn those lives into tragedies. To focus on these women as victims. And, obviously, there are aspects of tragedy to Callas. She died too young. She was losing her voice. She was, indeed, the victim of several abusive relationships, Onassis being only the latest of them. And while the book doesn’t diminish these aspects of Callas’s life, it offers a narrative far more nuanced than one of mere victimhood, helpless exploitation, and inevitable tragedy. If nothing else, it presents a Maria Callas who made choices. Choices that, irrespective of how we judge her for them, were her own. And I personally feel that’s super important, and I admired the way the book carried it off.

Where things came unstuck for me was that Diva fell into a hole between biography and fiction when it came to the prose style. It ends up combining the direct, matter-of-fact narration more typical of biography with the emotional intimacy of fiction, along with more typically fictionalised elements like dialogue. And, unfortunately, that ended up just feeling awkward and unwieldly to me, like too tonally flat to be fully engaging as fiction, and too specific in its perspective to offer the informational scope of biography. In general, I just found everything very … described. It’s very “this is what Maria is doing, this is what she thinks about it, this how she feels” which made the book as a whole feel static, distanced and probably more artless than is really fair. For example:

She could smell the doughnuts, and her mouth started to water. They were so delicious; one bite wouldn’t hurt surely? But then she made herself remember how large she had been in Venice ten years ago, how the tops of her thighs would chafe against each other in summer, and how awkward it had been to move onstage. She did not want to be that Maria again, the one who dwarfed nearly every tenor she sang with, the one compared by one critic to a praying mantis who mated and then gobbled up her spouse. Her voice was a gift from God, but her figure was the fruit of her own self-denial.

I think I ended up feeling like I was being explained to, or worse, explained at, when I always prefer a text to trust me with some interpretative or intuitive capacity. Or, at the very least, the ability to Google shit I don’t understand. Like, the book goes out of its way to clumsily gloss words (“Maria felt a warmth creep over her. Her mother had never called her agapi mou (my love) before.” or“‘No, absolutely not like that, you, cazzo!’ said Maria, her nostrils flaring with anger, as using the Italian word for prick.”) and that’s the sort of thing that tends to really throw me out of a story.

Diva also has a slightly complicated POV, in the sense that it’s mostly from Callas’s, but it will occasionally swoop into the heads of other characters pretty much at random:

Tita [Maria’s first husband] stood up and gripped her shoulders. They were so bony now. He remembered the soft flesh that had enveloped the Maria he had married in Verona nine years earlier. Sometimes he wished that she was still that large, badly dressed girl who could always be soothed with pasta and ice cream. He had loved to watch her eat, gobbling her food as if someone were going to take it away from her. She had been a simpler creature then, her Italian strangely emphatic and full of antiquated emotional declarations that she had learned from operas. That girl had known twenty different words for love but didn’t know how to ask for the bathroom.

And, honestly, this is fine. I didn’t have an issue with it. The only reason I mention it is because I slightly struggled with the Diva’s portrayal of Elsa Maxwell. I mean, it’s pretty clear Elsa isn’t a great person, rapacious gossip that she is, nor necessarily a particularly good friend to a more-vulnerable-than-she-lets-on Callas. But Elsa Maxwell was kind of a fascinating person, who did some really cool stuff (including inventing the scavenger hunt), and, you know, gay AF (despite her public condemnation of homosexuality, which was, to be fair, a lot less cool). Except kind of the only thing the book has to say about her is that’s fat, and occasionally mean. Like, there isn’t a single scene in which Elsa Maxwell is present in which there isn’t some gratuitous reference to her size

- She was dressed in swathes of gold brocade that contained her bulk, but only just.
- She […] put her pudgy hand to her heart.
- her ample frame
- her many chins

Beds groan in protest if Elsa Maxwell sits down on them. Decks of boats shake when she walks across them. And I cannot for the life of me understand the intended point of this repeated emphasis on body of Elsa Maxwell. Fair enough, yes, in later life she was, indeed, and I say descriptively rather than pejoratively, fat. But if it’s somehow important that the reader knows this, that’s a matter for an introductory paragraph. We don’t have to be reminded over and over and over and over and over again. And the reason I mentioned POV above is because if the book was embedded solely in Callas’s POV then, given her own struggles with her weight and her insecurities about her body, I could, in fact see, why she might choose to dwell on what she perceives as the physical flaws of another woman, especially one with whom she has a complex-to-negative relationship. But that isn’t the case. As discussed above, Diva changes perspective fairly freely. Which left this weird obsession with Elsa Maxwell’s size feeling less like it was an insight into Callas’s relationship with her friend, than distaste the book itself was, intentionally or otherwise, communicating.

It's extra weird in context, as well, because Callas’s body, especially after her weight loss, became such a topic of public scrutiny, as the bodies of famous women (and, increasingly, famous men) are wont to be, even though it shouldn’t be anyone’s damn business. And the book is really clear about how gross and damaging this is. So I don’t understand how Diva could be so sensitive to and sympathetic towards Callas’s lifelong struggle with physical self-acceptance and, at the same time, so committed to body shaming a fat lesbian. (And I will add, I know Elsa Maxwell was fairly direct about her own appearance – I think she once said “I have to send out a search party to find my necklace in all my chins” – but the way people talk about themselves and the way we talk about them are different fucking things). To me, as well, the book’s take on Elsa Maxwell becomes extra messy when Franco Zeffirelli—a known abuser—is in here and presented as a fabulous gay bestie for Callas. I mean, maybe they genuinely did have a really warm and supportive relationship (although I will note he was emotionally abusive to women, as well as sexually abusive to men) but it still ended up making me faintly uncomfortable.

Although, having just been fairly critical, there’s a scene near the end where Callas meets Marilyn Monroe at JFK’s birthday (about two weeks before Marilyn’s death I think) which I found fascinating and moving and intriguingly imagined, capturing the spirit of both women, and the strange correspondences between two people who—on the surface—could not be less alike.

So, yeah. Basically, I wish I’d liked this more. I think, in general, I don’t do super well with biographical fiction, which is on me, not on the book. I think, however, – in spite of what ended up being missteps for me personally – Diva does really capture something about Callas. It feels true to her. And that alone is worth celebrating.

[Christy fictional_traits · Rating 4 out of 5]

'One day, I am sure, you will be a great diva, one of the greatest...and you will think you are immortal'.

Surely real-life opera singer, Maria Callas, La Divina, was born under a shooting star and all the luck and fortune that portends. Having survived her overbearing mother's dubious demands to 'sing for their supper' in occupied Greece, Maria returned to America, after WW2, and drove herself, propelled by this God-given gift to become the greatest operatic soprano. She not only honed her talent but also her acting skills and body to literally become 'divine'. However, 'The ancient Greeks had invented the idea of hubris for a reason'. The curse of fame was to always feel insecure; always trying to redress the balance between fame and personal life, self and persona, talent and being human. Her love affair with Aristotle Onassis shifted this fulcrum seemingly permanently.

I enjoyed reading about Maria Callas, whom I had never heard of before. Daisy Goodwin does a great job of relating Maria's history while telling a readable story. I could believe in Maria's drive towards perfectionism. I could believe she may have met her match with the domineering personality of Ari. And I could believe her ultimately indomitable spirit until the end - despite the media's attempts to crush it, 'Don't end like the characters you sing - dying for love in the third act. Make your own ending...'.

Overall, an enjoyable historical fiction read that should satisfy.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diva is a new release from Daisy Goodwin, whose historical fiction novel, Victoria, was a top book the year I read it. Maria Callas was a name I'd heard of but honestly knew little about. Even more surprised was I to learn she's been Aristotle Onassis's lover for years before he married Jackie Kenned. What a small world! The book immediately pulled me into the 1960s when Hollywood was such an immense part of world culture. I could feel some of Callas's music seep thru the pages, reminding me why Goodwin is a wonderful author who brings to life famous artists and royalty I wouldn't have known otherwise. Much of my commentary is around how we complain about famous stars behavior today but in reality, it always existed. People just didn't know about it from reporters immediately, and often the gossip was in the form of newspaper columnists. How sad it is to think people haunt and attack others for things like not being able to sing in a performance... definitely a recommended book.

[Kerrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diva is a biopic novel of Maria Callas, focusing primarily on her love affair with Aristotle Onassis. The story had a sense of sadness about it throughout. She had a terrible relationship with her mother, who made it clear her favorite child was Maria's sister, Jackie. She had more of a business relationship than a loving marriage with her much older husband, Tito. Even when she fell in love with Onassis, he was uninterested in her musical career and was often unfaithful.

Maria Callas truly was a diva, full of charisma, intelligence, and grit. She was a passionate woman who never found the great love she was seeking. I am giving this 4 stars. I was hoping for more emphasis on her career. The story ends after Onassis marries Jackie Kennedy, and does not cover her life leading up to her untimely death.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't as riveting as I had hoped...

Maria Callas, the legendary opera singer who took the world by storm with her mesmerizing voice. Follow her journey through the highs and lows of fame, and witness the tumultuous romance she shared with the charismatic Aristotle Onassis. Through all the glitz and glamour, the heartaches and struggles, Maria Callas remained an iconic figure.

I was excited to dive into a story filled with passion, fame, and tragedy. However, it fell short of my expectations. While the plot had a lot of potential, it lacked the necessary depth and emotional impact to truly captivate me. Overall, an okay read.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Daisy Goodwin, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

[Mary-Lisa Russo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh "Diva"... you found your way into my heart and wrapped yourself around it until you made it your very own. Thank you to Daisy Goodwin for an advanced copy of this book which is anticipated to be released on January 23, 2024. It is important to note:
I don't think I could have waited that long to acquire a copy.

Goodwin humanized the larger-than-life, Maria Callas, in such a way that her heartaches, and trials and tribulations, were rendered relatable. Her life was not an easy one despite the outward appearance of chic coolness she masterfully conveyed to the world that watched her every move. She was under a microscope, floating in sea of big names such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Her larger than life romance with the infamous Aristotle Onassis raised her to epic heights and then smashed her mercilessly when he chose to wed Jacqueline Kennedy over her. That human element I previously mentioned is the driving force of this book. The true "diva" is stripped down to her core emotions, and we get a glimpse of this in this book, generating awareness and appreciation on the reader's part.

This book is wonderfully written, and I was deeply engaged with each turn of the page.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

5/5

[Keila (speedreadstagram) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Callas is known as a la divina, the divine one. She’s one of the best Opera singers. Her fame was hard won, she was raised in Nazi-occupied Greece, and she learned early to protect herself.

When she met the fabulously rich Aristotle Onassis, she finally thinks she has found someone who sees the woman she is. She loves the life of luxury but just as quickly as it starts, it’s over and Maria is forced to pick up the pieces.

What an interesting read this one was. I enjoyed the story of Maria Kallas and her life as an opera singer. She had a nine-year relationship with Aristotle Onassis prior to him ending things and marrying Jackie Kennedy. This book was a whirlwind that didn’t stop. I struggled with the back-and-forth timelines. For Maria, being an opera singer, the book wasn’t as focused on the opera as I thought it would be. Maria came across as difficult and prickly while Aristotle was more of a philanderer. I’m not sure if this was for the story or how they were in real life, that is a struggle with historical fiction, you never know what is real and what is for the story. I usually don’t have a problem with this and love historical fiction, but something about this one was a little off for me.

If you are looking for a historical fiction about a notorious love affair, then check this one out.

3.5 rounded to 4

Thank you to the publisher St Martin’s Press, @stmartinspress, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own

Book Tagline 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.

This turned out to be the perfect reading choice for an early Saturday morning. A historical fiction about the love affair between Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis. Maria was certainly an alluring and talented woman. Onassis was compelling but there were elements of his character that made me not like him. Whatever the case I was hooked fairly early on.

As the story moves from the 1950's-1960's, readers are treated to flashbacks that give us a window into Maria's upbringing and her strained family relations. Showing that even with all that success, there were elements of her story that any of us can relate to.

If I have one quibble it would be that Daisy Goodwin doesn't have an afterword that tells us more of what she researched and where she might have added some things to the storyline. Did Maria ever reconcile with her sister? Yes, I know that I am free to "Google" and I certainly will because I am very intrigued. Just as a spoiled reader, I crave my author's notes.

Overall, I would highly recommend to readers who also enjoyed Jackie and Maria: A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas by Gil Paul will certainly crave to read this one as well.



Publication date 23/01/24
Goodreads Review 23/02/24

[Melany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, such a moving story. So much drama, scandal. This book truly kept me interested, even had a bit of spice. The main characters mother truly shaped the MC and how she was, but not in a good way. This was truly entertaining and interesting to read. The writing style itself is where I took the stars away and it wasn't my cup of tea. However, we all have our own preferences so give this one a go!

I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diva by Daisy Goodwin is a historical fiction novel about the life of Maria Callas, one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. Known as La Divina (The Divine One), her voice was known to express great emotion, even though it has been said that her voice was not traditionally beautiful. The cover, so simple and yet so elegantly beautiful, drew me to this book.

Despite being born in NYC, Maria and her sister were relocated to Greece by their mother when Maria was 14, following the deterioration of her parents’ marriage. While Maria’s mother showed favoritism towards her older sister, Jackie, she viewed Maria as her golden opportunity and began exploiting her vocal talents from a young age. Their relationship was never a loving one and only got worse with time.

While the book briefly explores Maria’s upbringing and professional journey, its central narrative revolves around her romantic involvement with Aristotle Onassis. They met in 1957 at a party held in her honor, and by 1959, Maria had made the decision to leave her husband, embarking on a nine year love affair with Onassis. Unlike those who primarily valued her for her vocal abilities and fame, Onassis displayed no interest in her singing career. Maria was drawn to him because he was able to see beyond her soprano persona; he recognized and appreciated her as a woman.
Although I felt empathy for Maria, she wasn’t portrayed as a particularly likable character. Despite her diva persona, learning about her struggles with weight loss, eating habits, and the challenges she faced with her husband highlighted her underlying insecurities. She was definitely a complex person and that was well-written into the narrative. I love books like this that send me Googling, wanting to know more.

The story started off at a slower pace and took a little bit to grab my attention. For me, my interest piqued when she met Onassis and with their initial cat and mouse chase. Having a husband who basically used her, a mother who showed no love, very few true friends, and then after a 9 year relationship, having to hear about Onassis’ marriage to Jackie O. through friends and from the newspaper, and then finally her untimely death at the age of 53 (which surprisingly wasn’t mentioned in the book)— her life felt so sad regardless of her fame and wealth. I enjoyed learning more about Maria Callas’ life and even listened to some of her music that was mentioned in the book although the ending felt abrupt and I wish the author would have shown Maria’s life after the breakup. 3.5 stars rounded up. 💫

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Marina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Daisy Does Callas . . .

I had high hopes for this book but I have to say it's one of the worst books I've ever read. The prose was embarrassingly bad and clunky. One reviewer wrote that it was choppy and I have to agree. The dialogue did not fit Maria's usual way of speaking, which is quite easy to find on Youtube. I cringed in several parts and wondered how Miss Goodwin managed to find a publisher for this novel. There were so many mistakes that were just careless, for example, Callas's size 9 feet (she wore a size 39) and referring to Biki as Puccini's daughter - she was his step-granddaughter. She also writes that Zeferreli accompanied her to Maxim's on the night Onassis announced his marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy. Not true - Maria was deeply mistrustful of Zeferreli, who had stolen from her a few years before. Visconti was the one she truly admired. I feel Miss Goodwin mixes up Zeferreli and Visconti. She also wrote that Giuseppe Di Stefano sang 'Medea' with Callas in 1962 or so. Not true: Di Stefano never sang 'Medea'. I stopped noting the errors and grimaced my way through the text. Some things really stood out for me:

The explicit scenes were so repetitive that I found myself rolling my eyes. 'Her sex' as in her private parts made me want to claw my eyes out. Likewise when Onassis kisses that area and says, 'Oh, Maria, you taste of caviar.' There are more examples but too tiresome to list. I began to wonder if the author was really just a sex-starved senior. I also wondered if it was inspired by the Netflix drama 365 Days. Same style. On a serious note, I was disturbed by the scene in which Maria is (anally) raped by Onassis. Another thing and I should have realised given the lack of imagination in this book, is that the author repeats the story of Maria and Onassis's son. This was also written about in great detail in Gill Paul's fiction book on Maria Callas, published only two or three years ago. I noticed a few comparisons between Miss Goodwin's and Miss Paul's books but Miss Paul's novel was far superior and she is a better writer. After the death of Maria's baby, Onassis tells her they're meant to be lovers, not parents. Maria's sex life is blamed for the dead baby - Onassis, quite literally, bangs her too hard against an olive tree which leaves Maria 'begging to be fucked in Greek'. There are parts where Onassis is quite matronly.

I was also surprised by a section in the book where Miss Goodwin writes that Mario Del Monaco, the great opera singer, sexually assaulted Maria in New York by touching her breasts. Really? Where is the evidence? It's a serious accusation to make. As an opera fan, I have read all the biographies and never came across anything negative about Del Monaco's conduct. She also writes that Giuseppe Di Stefano preyed on young sopranos. Again, evidence, please? Oh, that's right: the dead cannot sue. Likewise, there's a small part in the book that has slight lesbian undertones - Maria invites young Celia Sandys (16) to try on her (Maria's) bikinis and Miss Goodwin writes in detail about the teenager's breasts, followed by Maria admiring them herself. I have read Celia's newspaper articles about the cruise and she loathed Maria. It's time (young) women stopped being objectified to satisfy the writer's perversions.

This book reads like bad fan fiction that has been copied and pasted overnight. Not really anything to applaud. Miss Goodwin is a terrible writer on the best of days but this really exceeds her usual drivel. In my opinion, she fancies herself as a Jackie Collins type (of the historical world) but the fact is, Collins was likeable and built women up. Miss Goodwin has a habit of tearing women down (see her Daily Mail articles) and her hatchet job of Maria is proof of that. It's clear from this slapdash of a book that Miss Goodwin wants to jump on the Callas bandwagon.

Miss Goodwin writes of Maria's 'coins' in the book. Thank goodness I have not spent a single coin on this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

NB: Callas's Estate should have a right to stop portrayals like this.

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this story of the love affair between Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas. The author portrays them as being very much in love, but Ari had other plans and could never be happy with just one woman.

The ups and downs of this relationship told a story of the diva Maria who was gifted with an amazing voice, knowing that her golden coins (her voice) would one day be used up. She was a master at her craft, never allowing herself forgiveness if she failed to reach her pinnacle every time.

Ari was wealthy, had everything money could buy, beautiful woman seemed to fall at his feet, not because of his looks, but because he was adept at love making, making a woman feel special, and let's not forget oodles of money. (a sure aphrodisiac)

Socially always climbing, he reached his summit when marrying Jackie Kennedy, the gilded rose he wanted even though he never really cared for her.

There were many surprises and the story went quickly by and was intense as both its main characters were.

Thank you to Daisy Goodwin, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out this week.

[Ellery Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best historical fiction teaches us something, and I learned so much about Maria Callas, an opera singer with the diva reputation of Mariah Carey.

The book started out strong, but as soon as Maria and Onassis got together, I began to struggle with it. It felt like the tone changed and there was a soap opera vibe. I wanted to know Maria, but even after finishing the book, I felt like I had only a sense of her devotion to music and that she wore fabulous clothes, but the important relationships weren’t really fleshed out. I’m still glad I read Diva because I ended up on Google, reading more about the fascinating and sad life of Maria Callas.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Callas was a world-renowned opera singer. She was a woman of outstanding talent and a true diva. We follow her story through some of the most publicized moments of her life. This was a great story that shed a more personal light on Maria, her life, and her relationships.

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This time of year I usually stop reading and start chasing the Oscars. Movies are another passion and I’ve long been a fan of Hollywood. I recently watched the fascinating and oddly enigmatic movie, Maria, featuring Angelina Jolie (this moviegoer feels Jolie deserved an Oscar nod) in the title role. As soon as the credits rolled, I headed to Google and careened down the Wikipedia rabbit hole, as I often do when a movie or book is about a real person.

During that trip, I discovered this title and quickly downloaded the book which is a good complement to the movie. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I know any more about The Diva than I did from Jolie’s film.

Yes, there’s a ton of name dropping and there were chapters that brought moments of cultural history to life. The 60s may have been my birth decade, but I don’t know much about it, except from the tidbits we’ve all heard. It was nice to learn details about pop culture moments, like Marilyn Monroe’s Happy Birthday song to JFK, Callas’ relationship with Onassis, or the “hanger ons” who influenced society and celebrity culture back in the dat when Capote was king of the swans!

I think the problem was that Goodwin could only string together all the public moments in Callas’s career (many of which were also used in the movie) without having any new “insider” knowledge (no doubt due to Callas herself). Overall, it just felt sanitized. Not because there weren’t salacious tidbits, but because it also felt “created” and not altogether authentic. No doubt because filling in the blanks when the proverbial bedroom door closes must be difficult for a writer. While not many of the characters are still alive, their names aren’t long forgotten.

Goodwin is a good writer but, in some ways, I wished I’d left Maria Callas behind with the film. Learning the facts didn’t make me understand the enigmatic star any better— I just felt a little more sorry for her.

[Dona's Books]

DNF @ 10%

Thank you to the author Daisy Goodwin, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of DIVA. All views are mine.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

1. "My Mother was worse than the nazis," the main character complains, because her mother made her sing for their food and favored her sister. My mother made me get a newspaper route when I was 9, but that didn't make her a nazi. I don't know if the author is shortsighted, or the character is, but I almost DNFed here. I really can't abide protagonists this wrapped up in navel gazing.

2. There is just so much in this book that doesn't make sense, such as the protagonist's mother asking her for $100 for their "daily bread." At the time she would have requested this sum, it would have been worth a lot more than a month's worth of groceries. Apparently, TIME magazine mischaracterizes the protagonist's response to her mother, saying the diva tells the old woman to "drown herself." And even though this book is historical fiction, the author isn't providing enough context for me to know if this interview business is historical or dramatic. It wouldn't have been hard to clarify, but I think the muddling is intentional. Unfortunately, I don't like to give up my chew toys, so I'm too annoyed to just move on to the next part of the story.

Rating: DNF @ 10%
Recommend? Maybe, if you really love historical fiction and diva drama
Finished: Jan 18 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle
Read this book if you like:
🕰 historical fiction
🚂 twentieth-century fiction
💃 divas
💇‍♀️ women's coming of age
🫖 high society

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 1956 and Maria Callas is at the height of her fame but conscious that her extraordinary vocal ability cannot last forever. Her life is a whirlwind: travelling to different cities across the globe for performances, having dress fittings with her couturier and attending glamorous parties – the sort of parties where Cary Grant greets you as he walks past your table, Maurice Chevalier comes over to wish you happy birthday, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor pop over for a chat.

But maintaining the persona of la divina comes at a cost. Conscious of having been overweight as a child, Maria seemingly subsists on a diet of steak tartare and green salad in order to maintain an unnaturally trim figure, hides her shortsightedness behind sunglasses and avoids anything that might risk damaging her voice.

The author shows us Maria the woman, not just the diva. Maria’s relationship with her mother – never strong because of Maria’s suspicion that she always favoured her sister – has broken down completely and will later descend into a war of words and accusations. She’s in a stale marriage in which her husband has become more a manager of her theatrical engagements than a lover. (He, however, remains fiercely devoted to her and I felt great sympathy for him.) Although surrounded by people, she comes across as rather lonely, with her maid the only person she can truly rely on or confide in.

It’s no surprise then that Maria is attracted to Aristotle Onassis, who showers her with attention and a constant stream of expensive gifts. She believes it is Maria Callas the woman he desires, not Maria Callas the opera star. They embark on a passionate affair, under the nose of Onassis’s wife who is finding her own pleasure elsewhere. (I confess I found the sex scenes between Onassis and Maria a little squirmy.) Ignoring the warnings of others and despite being aware of Onassis’s many past dalliances, she believes their relationship is different. ‘Maria knew that she was not some conquest, she was his equal: a Greek of humble origins who had made herself into a world-famous star but who, underneath, was like him – a simple soul.’

Oh dear, how wrong can she be… As she eventually discovers – and only after an act of the utmost cruelty and a very public humiliation – she’s just one in a long line of conquests. Another notch on his bedpost, if you like. While he’s servicing the current conquest, he’s already grooming the next one. And setting his sights higher than the world’s most famous opera singer, as it turns out.

In the end, all Maria is left with is what dignity she can muster and her ability to hold an audience spellbound with that glorious voice, a thing that only time can take away.

Diva gives us the highs and lows, the triumphs and tragedies of Maria’s life. It’s an absorbing work of fiction but necessarily departs from fact in some places.

[phoebe♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

”Maria felt the warmth of the applause run through her, burning away her fear. She was no longer Maria, the vulnerable woman, but Callas, la Divina, who could bring a reluctant audience to its feet.”

tw: infidelity, miscarriage, light spoilers

Listen, I know that I’m a sucker for historical fiction, but this one just didn’t live up to the hype.

I was really excited to start this book when I saw how many positive reviews there were. This was also an intriguing promise because I have never heard of Maria Callas and I knew nothing about her story, so this was a very educational and illuminating read regardless of whether I personally enjoyed it or not. Unfortunately, since this is not strictly based on educational purposes, I have to give this a three star rating because it simply wasn’t satisfactory for numerous reasons.

The biggest issue that I had with this book was the writing style itself. While there was a good amount of imagery and description, something that I especially approve of in historical novels, the prose still fell flat. There was something so forced and stilted about Goodwin’s narration, and the choppiness interrupted my flow of reading multiple times throughout the book. In my mind, if a book isn’t good enough to keep me hooked on it for the duration of the novel, it might not be worth it. The issue with the writing style wasn’t that bad, but it was enough to shake me out of my reading “groove” and it took me longer than usual to finish reading this book.

The other big issue that I had with this book was how weirdly personal it seemed. I know that this isn’t technically a biography, but I’m shelving it as such for organizational purposes. Also, since Goodwin claimed that this isn’t a biography, that gave her the creative liberty to alter Maria and turn her into more of a fictional character rather than a factual recreation of real life events. This itself isn’t the issue.

There were several thoughts that Maria had that seemed insanely personal, and since they technically were fabricated by Goodwin, they felt very invasive and full of assumptions. Like I said, I understand that this is not a biography that exclusively includes factual information, but still. That doesn’t feel like enough of a separation from who Maria really was to write such things from “her” perspective. Especially when it came to the baby with Ari, her inside thoughts became deeply personal.

I also found the dialogue to be really unrealistic. Not just because of the actual words and sentences that they were speaking, but because of the intonation and simply unnatural way of conversing as well. At times it didn’t even read as a script for a play, let alone dialogue in a book. It was a massive contrast to the setting and imagery, which were written in a much more consumable and tolerable manner. The dialogue wasn’t the worst, but again, it was enough to stand out and distract me in a bad way. It took attention away from the story that was actually being told.

This isn’t really a piece of criticism but more of me just pointing something out; why were Maria’ss hands always referred to as “long and white”? I swear that exact phrasing came up like three times in the latter half of the book alone.

On the other hand, something that I especially enjoyed was the way Goodwin walked us through opera and theater techniques in case we weren’t familiar (I definitely am not). This actually helped lessen interruptions, since I didn’t have to stop reading to look something up to understand what was happening.

I also really liked the characters themselves. Maybe this is because they were all actually real people, but the characters in the book felt really fleshed out and real (except for their dialogue).

It’s a weird feeling, when I read a book with some traits that I really like and some that I really don’t. I suppose this explains my three star rating, but I still feel a little unsure about this book despite working through my favorite and least favorite parts. Maybe this is one of those books that will stay with me, not because it’s a favorite, but because of how conflicted it made me feel.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Daisy Goodwin for the ARC!

[Zena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Przez książkę się płynie, bo życie Marii porywa ze sobą czytelnika. Fascynująca kobieta, której nic z nieba "nie spadło" - poza boskim talentem, ale i on wymagał jej codziennej dyscypliny i pracy. Biografia miejscami odrobinę naginająca rzeczywistość (o czym uprzedza sama autorka), jednak nie szkodzi to opowieści. Książka "nieodkładalna", teraz czekam na film z Angeliną w roli Callas 😀

[Syndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diva is not what I expected to be. It has this historical aspect to it. I do not like how Miss Goodwin narrated her story. Too boring.

2 stars

[Judy Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

New York Times bestselling author Daisy Goodwin returns with DIVA, a glamorous story of the scandalous love affair between the most celebrated opera singer and one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Maria Callas was known as a DIVA, with her magnificent voice, beauty, and flair for the dramatic — celebrated, famed, and honored by the grandest opera houses throughout the world. Insightful, an immersive tale that transports you to Europe during the mid-1900s and the life of “La Divina” Maria Callas.

Raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her golden voice, they did not have a good relationship. She learned early in life to protect herself from those who would use her for their ends.

She is wowed by the rich Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and falls madly in love, introduced to a world of luxury and showered with jewels and other famous and influential celebrities. They were together for nine years. She craved security and faithfulness but did not get the faithfulness.

Their love affair was suddenly over, and Aristotle Onassis would marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria.

The author, Daisy Goodwin, brings to life a woman we have read about, a woman of talent, but only in the heartbreak of losing her love did he find her true voice. He did not make her feel safe.

I enjoyed learning about the life of Maria Callas, her childhood, and her sister, Jackie, who was her mom's favorite. She used her talent to help her family, but it appeared they did not appreciate it. Maria married Giovanni Meneghini, who often took advantage of her, expecting her to perform when not up to it.

Beautifully written, a compelling inside story of Maria Callas, her insecurities, dysfunctional family, fears, desires, and talents to the rise and fame as one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century.

The novel is broken out into Acts One, Two, Three, and the Final Curtain, with globe-trotting as Callas performs in the classic opera houses of Europe and the US from the 50s to 60s with glitz and glamour.

DIVA is a compelling, absorbing historical fiction, meticulously researched with vivid settings and characterization—of love, art, and ambition— a spectacular fictionalized account of the life of famed opera singer Maria Callas. Elegant, visceral, and tragic.

AUDIOBOOK: I enjoyed the e-book and the audiobook narrated by a favorite award-winning, the fabulous Lorelei King, which includes a bonus conversation between the author and her singing teacher, soprano Josephine Goddard. It also contains music from Maria Callas. I highly recommend the audiobook.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 23, 2024
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
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[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, well written, and researched historical fiction, Daisy Goodwin enveloped me in the life of Maria Callas. I especially liked being on board the Christina with celebrities and royalty. Maria is the definition of a Diva. She had high expectations of herself and how people treated her. Borderline bitchy at times. The romance between her and Onassis was sexually charged and equally heartbreaking when her expectations of the relationship didn't add up. Also, the relationship with her mother and even her sister was explosive with resentment.

Diva had me checking people, locations, and even food I'd never heard of (chateaubriand anyone?). I even pulled up a live recording of Callas to hear her famous voice. I recommend Diva for historical fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy.

[Urtė Caspo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prieš Beyoncę pasaulis turėjo ne mažiau ryškią muzikos žvaigždę, dėl savo talento vadintą La Divina („Dieviškąja“). Tai – viena žymiausių ir įtakingiausių 20-ojo amžiaus operos sopranų Maria Callas, kurios gyvenimą romane „Diva“ aprašė Daisy Goodwin. Skaitydama knygą klausiau to paties pavadinimo muzikinio grojaraščio spotifajuje, kurį sudarė autorė. Skaitant ir klausantis Marios, mano kūnu bėgiojo šiurpuliukai. Ir ne, tai nebuvo utėlės.

Paauglystėje turėjau rimtą Marios Callas obsesiją. Mane užbūrė jos grožis ir balsas, prie kurio meistriškumo per 50 m. kol kas niekas nesugebėjo net priartėti. Maria turėjo nepaprastą emocinę raišką, demonstruotą tokiose operose kaip „Toska“, „Norma“, „La Traviata“ ir t.t. Mano mylimiausias Marios atliktas kūrinys – arija „Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix“ („Mano širdis atsiveria tavo balsui“) iš operos „Samsonas ir Dalila“. Anksčiau klausyti šios arijos ir bliauti buvo mano hobis 😭💖.

Kaip smagu skaityti knygą apie moterį, kuri niekada neabejojo savo talentu! Kuri buvo žmogiškai sudėtinga, dėl savo stiprybės dažnai nesuprasta. Divos gyvenimo istorija dramatiškumu neatsilieka nuo jos dainuojamų veikėjų, mirštančių dėl meilės trečiame veiksme. Labiau nei karjeros aukštumų Maria vaikėsi meilės ir šeimos, dėl kurios buvo pasiryžusi atiduoti viską. Kol visas pasaulis mylėjo divą Callas, niekas iš tikro nemylėjo Marios.

Kartą Maria panaudojo amforos indo metaforą žmogaus balsui apibūdinti. Pasak divos, balsas – tarsi indas, pilnas auksinių monetų. Kiekvieną kartą dainuodama diva pasiimdavo po vieną monetą puikiai žinodama, kad kažkada jos pasibags. Callas suprato subtilią žmogaus balso prigimtį ir neišvengiamus jo pokyčius metams bėgant.

Nors „Diva“ daug dėmesio skiria Marios ir babniko Onasio meilės dramoms, man ši istorija neatrodė svarbiausia. „Diva“ – talentingos moters, troškusios meilės ir šeimos, vidinis konfliktas. Ji buvo pasiryžusi paaukoti talentą ir kartu su juo – didžiulę dalį savęs, bet joks diedas to nevertino.

Maria nešė mirtingųjų pasauliui sunkiai suvokiamą talento naštą, pasmerktą nelaimingumui. Tikiu, kad svarbiausias romanas Marios Callas gyvenime buvo tarp divos ir jos balso. Visa kita – šeima, mylimieji tebuvo šurmulį keliantis nesuderintas orkestras.

Jeigu ieškote lengvai skaitomos knygos apie tikrąją La Diviną – būtinai „Divą“ įtraukit į savo TBR! 👸💖

[mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Lorelei King
Content: 2.5 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars

I didn’t know much about Maria Callas before I started this novel, and I am quite interested in (semi)biographical novels of people I find important. Diva reveals the story of the famous opera singer of Greek descent, Maria Callas. She was, and still is, considered one of the best, if not the best, opera singers of all time. Her incredible musical talent earned her the nickname “La Divina”.

I was hoping for an in-depth life story of Maria Callas. Even though she was also known for her relationship with the Greek businessman Aristotle Onassis, I hoped the main focus of the story would not be on that. Also, the novel Diva often gave me telenovela vibes. And I didn’t want to read only a story about glamour, rich people, and romance.

In the end, the novel is ok; it is informative. If you know nothing about Maria Callas, you will learn some facts after reading this novel. But honestly, I would have expected more depth.

I finished the novel, thanks to the audio format. I doubt I would bother with reading a book. One other thing I appreciated and enjoyed in audio format was the short recordings of Diva singing.

In short - not my type of novel. 2.5★. I'm torn about how to round it. Maybe rounded to 3★ for the audiobook version?

Thanks to Head of Zeus Audiobooks for the advance copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

[Christine Cazeneuve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story about an amazing woman who is most likely the most talented opera singer there ever was - Maria Callas. I don't know anything about opera but certainly knew who she was even though I was a babe in arms during her time. Maria was a complicated woman who struggled to find love in her life. Her commitment to her art was her life and she rarely faulted in her dedication to that. The author does an amazing job in bringing Maria to life and really making the reader feel her every emotion. I loved it! Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Lisa Leone-campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy Goodwin’s riveting historical fiction book Diva is a juicy, heartbreaking look at a certain time in the career of arguably one of the most famous opera singers, Maria Callas. It covers a period in her life where because of her age, she knows she perhaps has only a bit of time left to do what she is passionate about, sing. It also delves deeply into her longtime relationship with Greek tycoon, Aristotle Onassis and their torrid affair which ended when he shockingly (especially to Callas) married Jacqueline Kennedy. Callas seems to never have recovered from the trauma of that relationship and Onassis’ deceptions during their romance.

It also gives insight into why Callas worked so hard to be the number one opera singer. All through her life she never felt loved by her mother, who just continually pushed her and always felt her sister Jackie should have been the famous one. Their sad estrangement is documented in the story as well. It also alludes to a developed eating disorder as Callas her whole life was conscious of being overweight and humiliated as a child.

Mostly, the story in great detail explains how one of the most famous vocalists of our time was not very confident, how her husband Tito who was her agent pushed her incredibly hard because he was more interested in the money than their marriage which he treated as a corporation, never really allowing her to rest and pushing her even when she felt unwell to sing.

But that all changed when Callas met Aristotle Onassis. There was an immediate connection. But he was married and so was she. But they started an affair even though Callas knew Onassis was a playboy. He made her feel as if she was the only true love of his life. They both ended up divorcing, but sadly would never marry as Onassis kept putting off the asking even though Callas kept hoping for the ring.

Onassis, not a fan of opera really took no time to see Callas’ performances and she suspected him of cheating which Goodwin goes into great detail in the book. One can only sympathize for the way he treated Callas and how it affected the rest of her life.

Scattered throughout the story are sensational tales of the rich and famous and their lavish lifestyles, especially when traveling on Onassis’ yacht, Christina O. There are many accounts of richly spending and shocking waste.

Diva is a story filled with heartache, heartbreak and loss. It’s the story of a woman who as a child felt worthless and was able to pull herself up and leave all that behind and become the famous diva the world will always remember her as. But even with all that, her greatest regret was losing the love of her life.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #DaisyGoodwin #Diva for the advanced copy.