Passionate portrayals of the great Maria Callas have appeared in countless articles and books. Yet behind the unanimous enthusiasm for the soprano's talent remains the mystery of the woman herself--restless, ephemeral, elusive. No one but "la Maria" could tell the real story of Maria Callas. Here, a new figure emerges, cultivated from the letters, memoirs, photographs, and ephemera that the authors have collected from Callas's personal archives and those of her friends. The result, in essence, is a secret diary illuminating the central episodes of her life.

Approaching Callas's most intimate self, the authors listen to her heart to narrate the story of a life which was essentially simple, though no less fascinating than the fabled existence imagined by her fans. Revealing the mysteries of her incomparable art, the secrets of her troubled soul, the tales of her joyful triumphs and painful delusions, this stunning visual chronicle brings us closer to a great star who was, above all, human. With a refined graphic presentation that includes a wealth of previously unpublished photographs, this work is a colorful and resonant tribute to the woman Callas was and the legend she continues to be twenty years since her death.