Debut author Heather Walrath has released “The Diva’s Daughter,” an opera-themed historical novel set against the political and cultural upheaval of Europe in the early 1930s.

Set in Munich and Vienna in 1932, “The Diva’s Daughter” tells the story of Angelika Eder, an aspiring opera singer whose life is upended after the sudden death of her mother, a celebrated soprano. Relocated to Munich amid growing civil unrest, Angelika becomes entangled in the rise of the Nazi Party, whose leaders seek to exploit her voice for political propaganda.

The narrative traces Angelika’s return to Vienna after receiving an opportunity to study at an elite music institution, forcing her to navigate artistic ambition alongside mounting political pressure. As demands intensify for her to publicly support the regime, including singing for Adolf Hitler, the novel centers on her struggle to protect her artistic integrity while confronting moral and personal risk.

“Questions of art and politics are still relevant today. For instance, Donald Trump’s removal of a bipartisan board of trustees at national arts venue The Kennedy Center has sparked debate about censorship, whether art is political in nature, and how artists and patrons alike can stand up for their beliefs,” Walrath said in an email to OperaWire.

Read Related Stories

• Q & A: Mezzo-Soprano Indyana Schneider on Her Second Novel: Since the World is Ending

• ‘Everest’ Graphic Novel Opera to Screen at Opera Steamboat

• Carolyn Jack to Publish Debut Novel ‘The Changing of Keys’