Review: The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell

  The Doctor & the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell, 432 pages. Available in hardcover from Pamela Dorman Books.

Description:

It 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.

 In my glorious run of historical fiction this year, The Doctor and the Diva didn't cross the finish line.  Set between three fabulous locales: Boston, Trinidad, and Italy, all vividly described, it was the characters who were found lacking. Not because diva Erika abandoned her long coveted child in order to pursue her dream. While obviously selfish and heartwrenching, it was expected. But the romance/love story seemed to come from nowhere. And I never understood or didn't make the required leap from their professional relationship to one of all consuming love. Considering unrelenting passion is the foundation here, that connection is necessary.  Unfortunately, neither the Doctor or the Diva were very likable people, together or apart.

What came as a surprise was learning infertility treatments are not a modern day innovation.    Apparently doctors were experimenting with varying methods around the turn of the century. As another item of interest, the author was inspired by events that occurred in her ex-husband's family. This provided a rich background to an otherwise unbelievable story, however lackluster characters overshadowed the real drama.

Despite my feelings about Dr. Ravell and Erika, I remained curious and engaged through the final page. I just plain didn't like it.

More reviews:

Carolyn See for the Washington Post

Booking Mama

Thank you to Viking Books for the review copy.

The End.