Wishdaughter

Paternity, genius, and the potency of the written word are examined in this contemporary novel. The chance discovery of a letter sets journalist Bill Wheeler off on an investigation into the often sinister world of Richard Wagner, one of opera's greatest and most controversial composers. As Wheeler delves deeper into the hidden meanings of the letter, he is forced to reexamine his relationship with his beloved daughter Reah, his ex-wife Tamsin, and Libby Ziegler, the American academic who hastened the disintegration of his marriage seven years earlier. Immersed in the dark world of Wagner and his own memories, Wheeler learns important lessons about the necessity of coming to terms with the past in order to move forward. Settings that range from Tel Aviv to London give this poignant work an international feel.

Adrian Mourby is an opera correspondent who has written for numerous publications including Opera and Opera Now, and is a former producer for BBC radio and television. He is the author of the novels The Four of Us and We Think the World of Him.