The Bells (2010) by Richard Harvell is a historical novel about Moses Froben, a castrated opera singer with extraordinary hearing who becomes famous in Europe while harboring a deep personal secret. Raised by a deaf mother in a Swiss village, Moses learns of his father's identity after overhearing the village priest confess to the deed. His life is marked by tragedy: the priest attempts to kill him, and later, at a monastery, he is castrated to preserve his angelic voice. Known as "Lo Svizzero," Moses rises to fame as a renowned castrati singer, though he struggles with loneliness and unrequited love. His journey to Vienna leads him to reunite with his first love, Amalia, and raise her son, Nicolas, who later learns of Moses's past. The novel explores themes of identity, love, and the price of fame.
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