{"product_id":"wandering-through-life-a-memoir-9780802161581","title":"Wandering Through Life: A Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe\u003cbr\u003einternationally bestselling author of the Guido Brunetti mysteries tells her\u003cbr\u003eown adventurous life story as she enters her eighties\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a series of vignettes full of affection, irony, and good humor, Donna\u003cbr\u003eLeon narrates a remarkable life she feels has rather more happened to her than\u003cbr\u003ebeen planned. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFollowing a childhood in the company of her New Jersey family, with\u003cbr\u003efrequent visits to her grandfather's farm and its beloved animals, and summers\u003cbr\u003espent selling homegrown tomatoes by the roadside, Leon got her first taste of\u003cbr\u003ethe classical music and opera that would enrich her life. She also developed a\u003cbr\u003eyen for adventure. In 1976, she made the spontaneous decision to teach English\u003cbr\u003ein Iran, before finding herself swept up in the early days of the 1979\u003cbr\u003eRevolution. After teaching stints in China and Saudi Arabia, she finally landed\u003cbr\u003ein Venice. Leon vividly animates her decades-long love affair with Italy, from\u003cbr\u003eher first magical dinner when serving as a chaperone to a friend, to the hunt\u003cbr\u003efor the perfect cappuccino, to the warfare tactics of grandmothers doing their\u003cbr\u003egrocery shopping at the Rialto Market. \u003c\/p\u003eSome 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 \u003ci\u003eEarthly Remains\u003c\/i\u003e. 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.\u003cp\u003eHaving recently celebrated her eightieth birthday, Leon poignantly\u003cbr\u003econfronts the dual challenges and pleasures of aging. Complete with a brief letter dissuading\u003cbr\u003ethose hoping to meet Guido Brunetti at the Questura, and always suffused with\u003cbr\u003emusic, food, and her sharp sense of humor, \u003ci\u003eWandering through Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eoffers Donna Leon at her most personal. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Atlantic Monthly Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/19\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780802161581\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 208\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.30h x 5.50w x 1.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/15\/2023\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Donna Leon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43059739426997,"sku":"9780802161581","price":22.1,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_9dde36eb-0170-4d8b-bf18-a7c712c04580.jpg?v=1690297792","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/wandering-through-life-a-memoir-9780802161581","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}