The Unexpected Diva is an Unexpected Delight

Author Tiffany Warren’s latest novel offers an historical, emotional and personal glimpse into beautiful journey that was vocalist Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield’s extraordinary life. Born in 1817, Elizabeth’s story surprisingly resonates on many levels with the internal struggles women of color face today. From overcoming deep-rooted issues with her self-esteem, to finding the balance between staying true to her purpose or getting caught fighting for civil rights for her community and lastly the internal struggle women face when a man lays claim to your heart but may not be the answer for one’s soul.

We see ourselves in Elizabeth’s palpable pain being forced to sing in spaces that hesitantly welcomed her, but despised and dehumanized her community. Readers have no choice but to empathize with Elizabeth’s decision to choose her personal career goals, not realizing those actions once viewed as self-serving, would instead open doors for the eventual betterment of the entire race.

After calling off her first proposal to Lucien, the man everyone assumed she would marry, Elizabeth believed she was safe to pursue her professional dream of taking her voice around the world. With her benefactors belief deep in her spirit, Elizabeth determined to pursue the journey both she and her beloved Miss Lizbeth planned for her from the time she was a young girl. Her ongoing guilt from turning down Lucein’s proposal was an annoying feeling she faced whenever she recalled their genuine friendship, however it paled in comparison to her heart-wrenching dilemma ever-present in her heart once she met Charles, the musician whose soul she became involuntarily tied to. Elizabeth finds herself internally battling her need to explore her womanhood, against her passion to pursue her God-given talent to sing across the world.

Like today’s woman, Elizabeth struggles with her physical desires to love this man who ignites her womanhood, yet rebels against the social responsibilities thrust on women who take on the title of wife. A feminist long before the rhetorical term was defined. Elizabeth believed in her ability to define her potential and lifestyle sans the permission of any man, be it a white man attempting to rule her or the beautiful black man she often shared her physical passions with.

Learning more of Elizabeth’s story juxtaposed against a backdrop of unlearned Black history including the manumission of slaves, white benefactors and the advocacy of the Mormon church are all themes worth studying on their own. Reading ‘The Unexpected Diva’ in 2025 when Black women are both praised and criticized for their leadership and refusal to settle for anything less than equal rights and excellence is almost chilling. Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield’s story is just as relevant today as it was centuries ago when she was fighting to be treated just as good as white singers that couldn’t hold a candle to her three-octave range.

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield’s story is one that will encourage and empower any women second guessing the talent God placed within her. It reminds us that whether your journey in includes a husband and children, or supporting others advocating for equal rights or on the battlefields fighting for the advancement of one’s people, every journey has its place and it’s importance and is God ordained.

Get your copy of “The Unexpected Diva” today wherever books are sold.