Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life

 Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life - Donna Leon

Pub. Date: Aug. 26, 2025

She read

I’m a huge fan of Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti mystery series set in Venice. I’ve read and loved all 30+ installments. I also enjoyed her 2023 memoir, Wandering Through Life.

While Backstage includes some stories from her life, many of her observations and thoughts in these essays are more esoteric, delving into the writing process and the structure of opera. The reader learns about her favorite authors and what makes their books so special.

What I enjoyed most were more tales of her life as a teacher in pre-revolutionary Iran, her life in Venice, and, in particular, her personal note to the fictional Brunetti and an encounter with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Just as a tourist may wander through Venice, this book meanders back and forth from one topic to another. It is almost as if the reader has stopped for a cup of coffee or glass of wine and conversation with Ms. Leon.

This nonfiction work may not be for everyone, but fans of Donna Leon and her Brunetti will enjoy it, as will readers interested in the writing process and opera buffs.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @GroveAtlantic for the DRC.

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