Introduced here as 'one of the greatest vocalists of the twentieth century,' iconic French singer Edith Piaf is accorded a perceptive, supportive, even definitive biography by seasoned biographer Burke (Becoming Modern: The Life of Mina Loy, 1996; Lee Miller, 2005), who had access to previously untapped Piaf documents. For the singer's fans, it's a generally well-known fact that Piaf grew up, and grew up singing, on the streets of the shady side of Paris. With a natural, raw technique (which, as she gained both fame and new friends with experience in this regard, underwent definite degrees of refinement) and an equally natural, ingrained empathy with the habits and plights of ordinary working-class folks, Piaf gradually moved her act off the streets and into bigger and more noticed performance venues, a chronicle of events documented here with an emphasis on separating truth from legend. Piaf certainly made some unfortunate love and lifestyle choices, but Burke refuses to see her as self-destructive. Piaf was a fighter and a learner, two qualitities that make for a compelling life story. --Brad Hooper
Review
“Burke’s terrific biography of Edith Piaf shucks the simplistic arc of self-destructive urchin to a more complex portrait that includes the singer’s heroics in the French Resistance and roles as mentor, lyricist, and enduring icon.” —Kimberly Cutter, Marie Claire
“A definitive, thoroughly researched biography. . . . [Burke] fell under the spell of [Piaf’s] raw emotional power, which she conveys so well in this biography. [She] deftly depicts the destiny of Piaf from her birth to her tragic death at age 47. Piaf’s early years have engendered many legends and half-truths, and Burke uncovers facts starting with Piaf’s birth. . . . Burke draws a vivid portrait of Piaf’s impoverished and often difficult childhood, including her picaresque travels with her father . . . Burke explores what inspired many of Piaf’s songs and their lyrics, as well as who helped her compose them and where she first performed them. . . . No Regrets is exhaustively comprehensive; Burke spoke with just about everyone who knew, admired or loved Piaf.” —Susan Miron, The Miami Herald
“Concise and gracefully written . . . [Burke] surveys all [Piaf’s] mayhem with thoughtfulness and respect. . . . A sound overview of Piaf’s life.” —James Gavin, The New York Times Book Review
“Captivating . . . [Burke is] highly effective in evoking the routine horrors of Piaf’s life as a street singer . . . Her research into the popular press is impressively broad, and she quotes hundreds of reviews of Piaf’s performances.” —Graham Robb, The New York Review of Books
“[An] eloquent embrace of the famed French singer-songwriter . . . Tracing her rise to international fame, Burke details her tragedies and her triumphs, her marriages and her music, and her conquest of America from Carnegie...
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From Booklist
Introduced here as 'one of the greatest vocalists of the twentieth century,' iconic French singer Edith Piaf is accorded a perceptive, supportive, even definitive biography by seasoned biographer Burke (Becoming Modern: The Life of Mina Loy, 1996; Lee Miller, 2005), who had access to previously untapped Piaf documents. For the singer's fans, it's a generally well-known fact that Piaf grew up, and grew up singing, on the streets of the shady side of Paris. With a natural, raw technique (which, as she gained both fame and new friends with experience in this regard, underwent definite degrees of refinement) and an equally natural, ingrained empathy with the habits and plights of ordinary working-class folks, Piaf gradually moved her act off the streets and into bigger and more noticed performance venues, a chronicle of events documented here with an emphasis on separating truth from legend. Piaf certainly made some unfortunate love and lifestyle choices, but Burke refuses to see her as self-destructive. Piaf was a fighter and a learner, two qualitities that make for a compelling life story. --Brad Hooper
Review
“Burke’s terrific biography of Edith Piaf shucks the simplistic arc of self-destructive urchin to a more complex portrait that includes the singer’s heroics in the French Resistance and roles as mentor, lyricist, and enduring icon.”
—Kimberly Cutter, Marie Claire
“A definitive, thoroughly researched biography. . . . [Burke] fell under the spell of [Piaf’s] raw emotional power, which she conveys so well in this biography. [She] deftly depicts the destiny of Piaf from her birth to her tragic death at age 47. Piaf’s early years have engendered many legends and half-truths, and Burke uncovers facts starting with Piaf’s birth. . . . Burke draws a vivid portrait of Piaf’s impoverished and often difficult childhood, including her picaresque travels with her father . . . Burke explores what inspired many of Piaf’s songs and their lyrics, as well as who helped her compose them and where she first performed them. . . . No Regrets is exhaustively comprehensive; Burke spoke with just about everyone who knew, admired or loved Piaf.”
—Susan Miron, The Miami Herald
“Concise and gracefully written . . . [Burke] surveys all [Piaf’s] mayhem with thoughtfulness and respect. . . . A sound overview of Piaf’s life.”
—James Gavin, The New York Times Book Review
“Captivating . . . [Burke is] highly effective in evoking the routine horrors of Piaf’s life as a street singer . . . Her research into the popular press is impressively broad, and she quotes hundreds of reviews of Piaf’s performances.”
—Graham Robb, The New York Review of Books
“[An] eloquent embrace of the famed French singer-songwriter . . . Tracing her rise to international fame, Burke details her tragedies and her triumphs, her marriages and her music, and her conquest of America from Carnegie...