Goodwin wrote a very faithful historical fiction novel, dramatizing the operatic life of La Divina, opera soprano Maria Callas. Born Maria Kalogeropoulou in 1923 in Manhattan, her overbearing mother moved her and her sister to Athens, Greece in 1937, which proved to be very unfortunate timing. While it gave Maria the opportunity to train with the renowned soprano Elvira de Hidalgo, Maria and her family had to endure the Italian and German occupation of Greece during World War II. Her mother would force Maria to “sing for her supper”, bringing home food for their survival. Scenes are described in flashbacks. The lack of motherly love, and being taken advantage of for her talent and notoriety was a lifelong theme. Another important theme was how Maria viewed her singing ability; she believed this was a gift from God, and must be cared for, nurtured, and never taken for granted, for then it might be taken away. Aware that she would likely only have this gift for a certain amount of time, she protected it with care.

We follow Maria’s career development and early successes largely in flashback, with the novel’s action taking place from 1956 to 1968. She met and married Battista (Tita) Meneghini, a local Verona small businessman, in 1949, who became her manager until 1959, when she left him for shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Callas’ early successes, prior to 1956, took place when she was very overweight. Callas decided in 1953 to quickly lose weight; Goodwin suggests this was inspired by Audrey Hepburn in the movie Roman Holiday. She also adopted a haute couture style of dress, guided in part by her friend Franco Zeffirelli. There is much debate in opera circles about whether the rapid weight loss led to a degradation of her vocal range and power. Some attribute any changes to loss of confidence, some to other distractions, or even undiagnosed health issues. From 1956 on, Callas’ life becomes more tumultuous, and Goodwin touches on the performance and personal scandals. The most significant was when Callas met Onassis in 1957, began an affair, and left her husband in 1959. Onassis never proposed marriage, although supposedly the only reason Callas would choose to leave her career would be to become his wife. Their relationship continued until 1968, when Onassis quickly developed a relationship with then First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, then married her shortly after President Kennedy’s assassination. Whether their affair continued is a matter of speculation. Goodwin seems to suggest that it ended at that time. This is where the novel ends.

Maria Callas died in 1977 of a heart attack, alone in her Paris apartment. Leaving behind an extensive discography, it is worth exploring the website Maria-Callas.com for photos, etc. Goodwin sprinkles wonderful scenes of Callas meeting various luminaries of the period, including Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe (Callas performed at JFK’s birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden in 1962, although most recall Monroe singing “Happy Birthday”), Grace Kelly, and Winston Churchill, to name a few. I don’t know if the novel will please Callas die-hard fans, but it is a real pleasure for those of us who know only a bit, having heard some of her singing, and heard of some of the controversy she sparked. I can recall seeing her on television talk shows in the sixties, and have heard clips of her amazing singing, most notably the scene in the 1993 movie Philadelphia, when Tom Hanks, ravaged by AIDS, is enraptured by Callas’ performance of the aria “La Momma Morta” from the opera Andrea Chenier.

I highly recommend this historical fiction novel. Book clubs will enjoy it, and I hope it spurs you on to listen to her amazing performances.