Cry to Heaven is a stand-alone historical novel by Anne Rice copyrighted 1982. It tells the story of an 18th century castrato, Tonio Treshi who is torn between seeking revenge against those who castrated him or making the best use of that life-altering event, to become Italy's next opera star. In a world where the angelic-voiced, graceful castrati were more modern-day rockstar than tragic figure, Tonio must decide whether the adulation of royal courts and grand opera houses of Europe are enough to slake a life-long hatred and need for revenge. Anne Rice signing books at Olssons on 19th Street, N.W. in the District of Columbia circa 1990. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... A castrato is a male soprano, mezzo-soprano, or alto voice produced by castration of the singer before puberty. ... A castrato is a male soprano, mezzo_soprano, or alto voice produced by castration of the singer before puberty. ... An opera house is a building where opera and other forms of performing arts are performed. ...

Through the travels of Tonio and his teacher/lover Guido Maffeo, the novel explores the world of opera seria, using the cultural and political turmoil of Naples,Venice, Milan and Rome as a back drop. Rice incorporates themes of betrayal, obsession, professional rivalry, the drive for revenge, the lust for power, and love. But beyond these broad concepts, "Cry to Heaven" is at its heart a character study of a man who had his manhood stolen from him, and of how his mind twists in on itself to cope with the loss. ISBN 0345396936 Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and serious style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1720s to ca 1770. ... Location within Italy Naples (Italian Napoli, Neapolitan Napule, from Greek Νέα Πόλις - Néa Pólis - meaning New City) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of Campania Region. ... Location within Italy Venice (Italian Venezia), the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice, 45°26′ N 12°19′ E, population 271,663 (census estimate 2004-01-01). ... Location within Italy Piazza della Scala Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese dialect: Milán) is the main city in northern Italy, and is located in the plains of Lombardy, the most populated and developed of Italian regions. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000 1...