My Venice and Other Essays by Donna Leon; 2013. Hardcover.

Donna Leon has been known for her international bestselling mystery series featuring Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti. These books have included her insight into the culture, politics, family-life, and history of Venice, one of the world’s most-treasured cities, and Leon’s home for over thirty years.

For many years, Leon has written essays for European publications. Collected here are the best of these: over fifty funny, passionate, and insightful essays that range from battles over garbage in the canals to the troubles with rehabbing Venetian real estate. She shares episodes from her life in Venice, explores her love of opera, and recounts tales from in and around her country house in the mountains. With pointed observations and humor, she also explores her family history and former life in New Jersey, and the idea of the Italian man.