Ecstasy: A Novel

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.