Edith Piaf has one of the most recognisable voices in the world. Epitomising the idea of ‘French’, fifty years on from her death there is still a fascination with her and her life. Carloyn Burke, who previously wrote biographies on Mina Loy and Lee Miller, has tackled the subject of Piaf’s biography head on in her new book, No Regrets.

For someone like me, who has heard her voice forever immortalised in record, but knows nothing of her history, this was a shocking insight into her life. Born into the worst kind of poverty, she started earning her living singing on the streets from her early teens. Abandoned by her mother within months of her birth, married with a child at sixteen and a string of lovers to rival Casanova, her life is as heartbreaking as it is inspiring. For despite all the terrible things that happened in her life and horrible people who managed to influence her, she continued to sing and love it for every minute.

This book is truly for the ardent fans of Piaf. Burke has meticulously researched almost each and every song she sang, and who it was written by, both melody and lyrics. Along with pertinent lyrics in both French and English, she shapes the book around her many singing engagements, songs and lovers. Although this starts out well at the beginning of the book, it becomes dizzying with the amount of all three that start to influence her life and for someone with no extended knowledge of her repertoire and limited knowledge of French, the names get confusing very quickly. Nonetheless if you want an enjoyable way to fill in the gaps of your own knowledge of Piaf and fall in love all over again with this diminutive star, this is a terrific way to do it.

Kate Rockstrom is a music specialist at Readings Carlton.