This is another book that took me a while to read. I got a copy from the library where I work before last summer to read. The author was once not only a teacher in the school district where I work, but she also was a librarian in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Libraries which are partnered with my school district where I am a librarian. Any way, I got to meet her earlier this fall when she was part of a panel at the Barnes and Noble where I work, and then she came to visit students at my school a couple weeks ago. I didn't get this read until last month, because I wanted to make sure to have it read before she came to discuss it with my students. As usual it was another one that blew me away, and I couldn't believe I'd waited so long to finally pick it up and read.

So more specifically about the book itself, I loved the history and all the research the author did to make the story so full and vivid. She wrote in the way that always makes me want to learn more about the time period and what truths she added to the story and what was actually what happened. There was so much edge of the seat tension about halfway through the book and all the way to the end. Then, I could barely put it down the last day I was reading it, read over 100 pages that day, and the ending, well, the ending gutted me!!! It was good, and if you know what the opera it is based on is about, it is what should happen. But still! Gah! Loved it, even as I hated it. Great story, and can't wait to read more by this author.