Mute Singer, a Novel

In the slums of 1847 Paris, a destitute nobleman's daughter possesses a voice that could dismantle the aristocracy. Sylvie de la Roche's extraordinary contralto is discovered by a gruff old musician who recognizes both her poverty and her genius. Under Maître Beaujeu's exacting training, she transforms from beggar girl to the sensation of Paris, brought onto the stage alongside the legendary tenor Lablanche. Overnight, aristocrats compete for her favor, and a young nobleman with a mysterious companion becomes utterly captivated. But on the eve of her greatest triumph, silence strikes, her voice vanishes without warning. Ritchie writes with sharp psychological precision about what it means to have your very identity suddenly stripped away, and whether the self can survive the loss of its defining gift. A gripping Victorian melodrama about art, class, and the fragility of fame.