The Queen of the Night

From a writer praised by Junot Diaz as 'the fire, in my opinion, and the light', a mesmerizing novel that follows one woman's rise from circus rider to courtesan to world-renowned diva Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, [...]
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From a writer praised by Junot Diaz as 'the fire, in my opinion, and the light', a mesmerizing novel that follows one woman's rise from circus rider to courtesan to world-renowned diva 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 follows Lilliet as she moves ever closer to the truth behind the mysterious opera and the role that could secure her reputation -- or destroy her with the secrets it reveals.'Epic, gorgeous, haunting' Hanya Yanagihara, Man Booker shortlisted author of A Little Life 'Astonishing' Karen Russell, New York Times best-selling author of Swamplandia 'Luminous' J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times best-selling author of Maine 'Glittering' Wall Street Journal 'Epic' Vogue 'Lush and sweeping' Publishers Weekly 'Plotted like a fine embroidery' NPR 'Completely engrossing' Library Journal, STARRED 'Richly researched, ornately plotted' Kirkus, STARRED 'Dramatic, audacious and extravagant' Chicago Review of Books ALEXANDER CHEE won a Whiting Award for his first novel, Edinburgh, and is a recipient of the NEA Fellowship in Fiction and residencies from the MacDowell Colony, Ledig House, and Civitella Ranieri. His writing has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Tin House, Slate, and NPR, among others, and he is a Contributing Editor at The New Republic. He lives in New York City.