What do readers think of The Doctor and the Diva by Adrienne McDonnell? Write your own review.

This was a good "beach/winter's night book"! It was an easy read, the characters were well developed, the plot thickened and there was a surprise or two. I don't believe that people are all good or all evil... Most of us have huge arguments within. We are not always going to make good decisions. I loved the author's style and descriptions. Having been to Trinidad and Boston, it brought me back to the wonders of the tropics, the bustle of the city and it took me easily to Italy and described its excitement also. Women were so trapped in society's "should and should nots" in this era. It was easy to see why Ericka was torn between wanting a child and wanting a career, something we all take for granted. It was difficult to watch her leave her child, and strike out on her own. It was also interesting to see the progression of her two male interests, her husband and her physician, as they vied for her affections. None of them understood the magnitude of their choices.

The only thing that I felt missing was the possibility of the legal ramifications to each. That would have made this book a 5 and a real spell binder. As it stands it is a beautiful love story and a satisfying read.

I'm having difficulty writing a review for this book. Although I wanted to keep reading to find out how it was going to end I felt like I needed more. I rated it a 4 but, if I could, I would probably give it a 3.5.

This book was a fairly easy read. The main locations of this story are Boston, Italy and South America. The descriptions of Italy and South America are excellent. I could see these places in my mind easily and since I have never been to either place, this was wonderful. Since it was said that the characters, Erika and her husband Peter were based on a real people, I really did not like either of them. They chose to have a child, they did more than choose, they tried things to conceive a child that were fairly experimental in the era of the book. She wanted to move to Italy to follow a career in opera and her husband traveled extensively with his import business located in Boston. Neither person wanting to give up anything for the sake of a child. This poor child never felt love the way a child should while growing up. We wonder why our children today are so messed up. I felt the ending of the story was the only way it could have ended in real life, not very happy. Although Erika seemed content with her life in the end, I feel she must have been very sad! I felt that the book was trying to make you feel compassion for Erika, but I did not. I only felt compassion for Quentin, the child.

Were it possible, I would rate this book 3.5. On the positive side, I was compelled to keep reading to find out "what happens next." However predictability, an anecdotal style creating a certain choppiness, and too many implausible occurrences keep it from being a solid 4 for me.

An interesting story with excellent descriptions of settings and character development. Some transitions between sections in chapters were choppy but the novel was an easy read.

Erika, main character of story is a Brahmin of Boston. She comes from a well to do family, lives on Beacon Hill. She also has a magnificent mezzo soprano voice. Her studies with renowned music teachers started early, in her teens. Erika sings in the opulent music rooms of Boston society. Gives small, well attended concerts. Clearly has passions are her music and her husband Peter. After several years of marriage both Erika and Peter find themselves childless, so they enlist the expertise of one Dr. Ravell who is reputed to have success in such cases. As fertility treatments were nearly unheard of in the early nineteen hundreds and what there was was veiled in great secrecy, the novel at this juncture is a historical account of these practices. quite interesting and informative. However, Erika's search for her own personal fulfillment and a channel for her beautiful continues. She leaves her husband, her family and she travels to Florence, Italy. The colors, sounds, music, cafes, food, impresarios are described in great detail, nearly to the point where one is able to experience it as if one was there. Erika's quest to display her talent takes her to Trinidad, also another island off the shores of Venezuela. Vegetation of the tropics, wildlife, the beaches, sudden tropical storms, life on a plantation between the owners and serving people are depicted with great writing skill. Erika's return to Florence with her never faltering drive to express her talent, is a most interesting read. The consummate drive of this woman on behalf of her talent is something all women can appreciate and learn from. I enjoyed it immensely.

I gravitated to this book as the reviews stated the story was born of a real person but fictionalized.

It started out very strong and the characters were very much like the yuppy culture of today. As it went on I started to dislike Erika as a spoiled brat. She was gifted with the voice of an angel and yet angry as she could not have a child. I almost felt her stamping of feet….but I want a child and then continue my dream to sing opera in Italy. The husband, Peter, was almost as bad.

Enter the timeless issue of fertility and the doctor, Dr. Ravell , with his modern designs for infertility treatment.

The three lives become intertwined in Boston, beautiful and lush coconut plantations in Trinidad and finally in Italy.

This book has a romantic story to tell and is an easy read.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction so I was really looking forward to this book. It started off really well, I found the information on infertility treatment in the early part of the 20th century fascinating. However in the middle of the book the story got bogged down in too much detail, so much so that I found it hard to continue on at times. In addition the three main characters, in spite of some good intentions, were are so selfish I found it difficult to like them. The only one I had any real sympathy for was the child. Each adult in this book made choices without really considering the ramifications and although at times a compelling story in the end it was more disappointing than enjoyable.