City Libraries, City of Gold Coast

Wandering through life : a memoir, Donna Leon

eng

Adult

non fiction

Wandering through life : a memoir

Donna Leon

Following a childhood in the company of her New Jersey family, with frequent visits to her grandfather's farm, Leon got her first taste of the classical music and opera that would enrich her life. In 1976, she made the spontaneous decision to teach English in Iran, before finding herself swept up in the early days of the 1979 Revolution. After teaching stints in China and Saudi Arabia, she finally landed in Venice. Leon vividly animates her decades-long love affair with Italy, from her first magical dinner when serving as a chaperone to a friend, to the warfare tactics of grandmothers doing their grocery shopping at the Rialto Market. Some things remain constant throughout the decades - her adoration of opera, especially Handel's vocal music, and her advocacy for the environment, embodied in her passion for bees - which informs the surprising crux of the Brunetti mystery Earthly Remains. Even as mass tourism takes its toll on the patience of residents, Leon's passion for Venice remains unchanged - its outrageous beauty and magic still captivate her

adult