Bold. Brave. Brilliant.

The Queen of the Night

Arizona Opera Book Club
Friday, March 31, 2017 - 7:00pm (Tucson)

The Queen of the Night, a brand new novel by acclaimed novelist Alexander Chee, tells its own operatic rags to riches story—just like Rossini’s Cenerentola. Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera. A legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role—every singer’s chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past.

Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all. 

As she mines her memories for clues, she recalls her life as an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept up into the glitzy, gritty world of Second Empire Paris. In order to survive, she transformed herself from hippodrome rider to courtesan, from empress’s maid to debut singer, all the while weaving a complicated web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue.  

The Queen of the Night

by Alexander Chee

PLEASE NOTE: The Queen of the Night contains adult themes and explicit material for mature readers only.

Purchase Queen of the Night on Amazon »

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