Lilliet Berne is a famous opera singer in 1882 Paris when an author approaches her to ask her to star in an opera he has just finished writing. When she reads it, she realizes that the story relates her own secret past. As she tries to discover the person who betrayed her confidence, she remembers her humble beginnings as an orphan from Ohio, her travels in Europe with a circus and her…
Tag: singer
Elizabeth Berg
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The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg
The Dream Lover is a historical fiction based on George Sand’s life. The French author had a very unusual life marred by tragedy and heartbreak, but also full of love and art. She was ahead of her time, a free spirit who didn’t shy away from leaving her husband or wearing trousers. In addition, she was a very successful writer and rubbed elbows with brilliant artists, including Honore de Balzac,…
Agatha Christie
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Did you know that Agatha Christie had a learning disability called dysgraphia?
She had problems with handwriting and spelling. As a result, she had to dictate all her novels. She also had difficulty with arithmetic and foreign language learning. Other fun facts about the author: Agatha Christie has sold more than 2 billion books worldwide. She wrote more than 90 novels and two dozen collections of short stories. Her work has been translated into more than a hundred languages. Her father died of pneumonia when she…
Maya Angelou
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RIP Maya Angelou
It was with sadness that I learnt the writer and poet Maya Angelou passed away a few days ago. Born Marguerite Ann Johnson, this incredible woman had an extraordinary life. It didn’t start well though… At the age of 7, she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. When she told her family, the man was convicted of the crime, and promptly murdered, most likely by Maya’s uncles. The trauma of this tragedy caused her to be mute for…
Emma Donoghue
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Frog Music by Emma Donoghue
It is the end of summer 1876, and San Francisco has been struck by a heat wave and a smallpox epidemic. Jenny Bonnet, a frog-hunting woman dressed in men’s clothes, is riding her bicycle when she collides with Blanche Beunon, a burlesque dancer and prostitute. This is the start of an unexpected friendship that will end a month later when Jenny is shot dead in a saloon at San Miguel Station. Blanche is…