Título: Wandering through Life: A Memoir
Autor: Donna Leon
Sinopse: The internationally bestselling author of the Guido Brunetti mysteries tells her own adventurous life story as she enters her eighties
In a series of vignettes full of affection, irony, and good humor, Donna Leon narrates a remarkable life she feels has rather more happened to her than been planned.
Following a childhood in the company of her New Jersey family, with frequent visits to her grandfather’s farm and its beloved animals, and summers spent selling homegrown tomatoes by the roadside, Leon got her first taste of the classical music and opera that would enrich her life. She also developed a yen for adventure. 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 hunt for the perfect cappuccino, 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.
Having recently celebrated her eightieth birthday, Leon poignantly confronts the dual challenges and pleasures of aging. Complete with a brief letter dissuading those hoping to meet Guido Brunetti at the Questura, and always suffused with music, food, and her sharp sense of humor, Wandering through Life offers Donna Leon at her most personal.
Contexto da obra
Como livro em inglês, esta obra costuma ganhar também uma camada própria de interesse editorial e linguístico. “Wandering through Life: A Memoir”, de Donna Leon, publicado pela editora Atlantic Monthly Press, em 2023 e com 208 páginas, integra a categoria Livros em Inglês. Por isso, o interesse da obra tende a se ampliar quando o leitor considera também a relação com a língua em que ela circula.
Editora: Atlantic Monthly Press
Páginas: 208
Ano: 2023-09-19
Edição: 1
Linguagem: en
ISBN: 0802161588
ISBN13: 9780802161581
Sobre a editora
Os livros da editora Atlantic Monthly Press apresentam uma leitura que mescla tensão e profundidade, com foco frequente em narrativas policiais e histórias de guerra que exploram conflitos humanos e sociais. O catálogo traz obras que transitam entre o thriller investigativo e o relato histórico, sempre com personagens complexos, como detetives marcados por passados difíceis ou soldados imersos em batalhas traumáticas. Além disso, há espaço para reflexões científicas e biográficas que abordam temas como comportamento humano e descobertas históricas, oferecendo um equilíbrio entre narrativas mais narrativas e outras de cunho informativo e analítico.
