Backstage

Więcej o książce

This engaging collection of stories and essays by the celebrated author of the internationally bestselling Guido Brunetti series showcases her delightful humor and irony. In her memoir, she previously offered a colorful tour of her life, from childhood in New Jersey to adventures in China and Iran, and her love of Venice and opera, but did not delve into her writing life. In this work, she reveals her admiration for great crime novelists like Ruth Rendell and Ross Macdonald, examining their storytelling techniques while dissecting her favorite books. She expresses her love for Dickens' *Great Expectations* and appreciates Sir Walter Scott's generosity of spirit. The author chronicles her extensive research efforts to authentically portray places and characters through Guido Brunetti and his colleagues, including interviewing a diamond dealer in Venice about blood diamonds and connecting with a courageous sex worker to accurately depict women's trafficking in Italy. Venice remains central in her memories, from the irritation of a noisy neighbor to the origins of Carnevale. Her teaching career yields memorable tales, such as helping a young Black boy in Newark and instructing Iranian pilots just before the 1979 Revolution. Throughout, she proves to be as compelling a storyteller about her own life as she is in chronicling Brunetti's adventures. Readers will find themselves captivated by her world.