The Greek-American Adriana Grafanas is the greatest opera singer of her age and the most famous woman in the world. Her scandals, violent temperament, and self-indulgent cancellations are the stuff of headlines.

Now, in 1961, her voice is in shreds and her combative personality is exhausted. Sent to Venice to "pull together" the autobiography that Adriana agreed to write, the young American Mark Trigger is drawn into the world of opera and Adriana - the reckless press, the hangers-on, the sexy actor she passionately loves, the world-famous director courting her for a movie, and the gorgeous princess scheming to steal her lover.

While trying to write her book, Mark instead discovers his own passions - men and Adriana's music. What continues to elude him, however, are a rare - possibly mythical - bootleg tape of her Venice performance in Cilea's opera Adriana Lecouvreur - the legendary "Venice Adriana" - and some clear insight into the woman herself.

Cleverly drawing on the plot and characters of Cilea's opera itself, Ethan Mordden summons up all the steamy glamour of European cafe society. And in Adriana, he brings fully to life a unique character - one who, like the city of Venice itself, is arrogant, sublime, and hated by the world and yet is finally beloved and worshipped as uniquely beautiful, a treasure of Western civilization.