Cry to Heaven [Review Copy, Signed]

One of the most beautiful, sensual, fascinating novels I've read to date.

This novel revolves around the mysterious and widely unknown world of the 18th century Italian castrati singers; men who were gelded before puberty in order to retain their otherworldly soprano vocal abilities. These singers were revered throughout Europe, performed for kings, queens, emperors and the societal elite. At the same time, on a more personal level, they were often feared, misunderstood, even loathed because of their tall, willowy bodies which were unlike any other people. On stage, they were the celebrities of the age, yet so little is known of them in today's general modern cultural context.

With "Cry to Heaven", Anne Rice has wondrously and respectfully removed the shades of secrecy and "shame" surrounding the castrati, told through the story of Antonio Treschi, the golden-voiced, rebellious son of a prominent, respected nobleman and senator in 18th century Venice.

This novel and its exhaustively-researched historical setting is spectacularly written, impeccably told, and deftly draws the reader into the story and the period, and doesn't let go until the final, breathless, heart-pounding page.