"Both beautifully wrought and a rip-roaring page-turner." - New York Newsday

"Phillips has gotten inside Alma's head and made her sing." - The New York Times Book Review

A sumptuous reimagining of the life of Alma Mahler, the lovely fin de siecle composer who abandoned her art to become a collector of geniuses. At the turn of the century, she was "the most beautiful girl in Vienna," the intelligent, aristocratic daughter of an Imperian favorite. She stood at the threshold of a promising musical career. But instead, Alma turned her considerable talents to becoming a freelance muse.