The narrow canals of Omo’s hometown were higher than expected for this time of year. From her ferry, she watched two beautiful black gondolas row by and smiled to herself at the enthralled tourists struggling to balance themselves against the waves while taking their frenzied photos. Pigeons crowned the many antiquated homes and edifices that dotted each cluster of land her ferry went by, scattering in mellifluous beauty whenever an aircraft passed overhead.

She emptied her mind with a hard...