Author Description

Product Description Gustav Klimt gave Alma her first kiss. Gustav Mahler fell in love with her at first sight and proposed only a few weeks later. Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius abandoned all reason to pursue her. Poet and novelist Franz Werfel described her as one of the very few magical women that exist. But who was this woman who brought these eminent men to their knees? In Ecstasy, Mary Sharratt answers that question. Coming of age in the midst of a creative and cultural whirlwind, Alma Schindler yearned to make her mark as a composer. A brand-new era of possibility for women was dawning, and she was determined to make the most of it. But when Alma lost her heart to the great composer Gustav Mahler, he demanded that she give up music. Torn by her love and in awe of his genius, she had to discover how to remain true to herself and her artistic passion. Part cautionary tale and part triumph of the feminist spirit, Ecstasy reveals the true Alma Mahler: composer, author, daughter, sister, mother, wife, lover, and muse. About the Author Mary Sharratt is an American writer who has lived in Germany and England for over two decades. The winner of the 2005 WILLA Literary Award and a Minnesota Book Award Finalist, she has also written several acclaimed novels including Summit Avenue, The Real Minerva, The Vanishing Point, and the Nautilus award-winning Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen. She is the co-editor of the subversive-fiction anthology Bitch Lit, which celebrates strong women who break all the rules. Tavia Gilbert is a producer, narrator, writer, and stage and film actor. A six-time Audie nominee and multiple Earphones and Parent's Choice Award winner, she has narrated more than 350 multi-cast and single-voice audiobooks.