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Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life
An engaging collection of stories and essays by the celebrated author of the internationally bestselling Guido Brunetti series, infused with her ever-present and delightful senses of humor and irony
Donna Leon’s memoir, Wandering through Life, gave her legions of fans a colorful tour through her life, from childhood in New Jersey to adventures in China and Iran, to her love of Venice and opera. Nowhere, however, did she discuss her writing life.
In Backstage, Donna reveals her admiration for, and inspiration from, the great crime novelists Ruth Rendell and Ross Macdonald, examining their approach to storytelling as she dissects her favorite books of theirs. She expresses her love for Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations and her appreciation for Sir Walter Scott’s generosity of spirit. And she chronicles the amount of research she undertakes to be able to present authentically, through Guido Brunetti and his colleagues, places and characters far from her own experience, from interviewing a diamond dealer in Venice to open up the world of blood diamonds; to meeting, through back channels, a courageous sex worker and women’s rights activist to depict accurately the trafficking of women in Italy. By contrast, the idea and opening scene of one of her novels came to her as she was walking through Venice.
Venice is central in her memory, whether recounting the semi-comic irritation of a noisy elderly neighbor or the origins of the city’s Carnevale. Her teaching career yields memorable helping a young Black boy in a Newark, New Jersey, elementary school; instructing young Iranian pilots in English just before the 1979 Iranian Revolution; and taking her students at a Swiss private high school to the famous Frank Zappa concert in Montreux interrupted by fire.
Throughout, she is as good a storyteller about herself as she is a chronicler of Guido Brunetti’s crime adventures. Readers will be as caught up in her world as she is in his.
Donna Leon’s memoir, Wandering through Life, gave her legions of fans a colorful tour through her life, from childhood in New Jersey to adventures in China and Iran, to her love of Venice and opera. Nowhere, however, did she discuss her writing life.
In Backstage, Donna reveals her admiration for, and inspiration from, the great crime novelists Ruth Rendell and Ross Macdonald, examining their approach to storytelling as she dissects her favorite books of theirs. She expresses her love for Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations and her appreciation for Sir Walter Scott’s generosity of spirit. And she chronicles the amount of research she undertakes to be able to present authentically, through Guido Brunetti and his colleagues, places and characters far from her own experience, from interviewing a diamond dealer in Venice to open up the world of blood diamonds; to meeting, through back channels, a courageous sex worker and women’s rights activist to depict accurately the trafficking of women in Italy. By contrast, the idea and opening scene of one of her novels came to her as she was walking through Venice.
Venice is central in her memory, whether recounting the semi-comic irritation of a noisy elderly neighbor or the origins of the city’s Carnevale. Her teaching career yields memorable helping a young Black boy in a Newark, New Jersey, elementary school; instructing young Iranian pilots in English just before the 1979 Iranian Revolution; and taking her students at a Swiss private high school to the famous Frank Zappa concert in Montreux interrupted by fire.
Throughout, she is as good a storyteller about herself as she is a chronicler of Guido Brunetti’s crime adventures. Readers will be as caught up in her world as she is in his.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published August 26, 2025
34 people are currently reading
2244 people want to read
About the author
Donna Leon
107 books2,923 followersDonna Leon (born September 29, 1942, in Montclair, New Jersey) is an American author of a series of crime novels set in Venice and featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti.
Donna Leon has lived in Venice for over twenty-five years. She has worked as a lecturer in English Literature for the University of Maryland University College - Europe (UMUC-Europe) in Italy, then as a Professor from 1981 to 1999 at the american military base of Vicenza (Italy) and a writer.
Her crime novels are all situated in or near Venice. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Her ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000.
Series:
* Commissario Brunetti
Donna Leon has lived in Venice for over twenty-five years. She has worked as a lecturer in English Literature for the University of Maryland University College - Europe (UMUC-Europe) in Italy, then as a Professor from 1981 to 1999 at the american military base of Vicenza (Italy) and a writer.
Her crime novels are all situated in or near Venice. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Her ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000.
Series:
* Commissario Brunetti
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 6, 2025
I’ve been reading Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti novels for over thirty years. It remains a complete delight for me when a new episode is released each year. She’s most definitely one of my ‘must read’ authors. A couple of years ago, she released a memoir entitled Wondering Through Life, which was, in essence, a random collection of memories and adventures told in chronological order. I enjoyed it, even though it lacked any real insight into her life as a writer – something I was desperately hoping for. Perhaps this book would provide that missing element?
Well, to a large extent, it does. But this knowledge - her teaching - is spread out in nuggets throughout the many short sections that make up this book. Sometimes she’s reflecting where her ideas for her books came from (black street sellers in Venice prompting Blood from a Stone) or how research is required to better understand a key theme or topic (meeting a Diamond Man in preparation for the same book). Then there’s the need to research characters (meeting a prostitute in preparation for Death and Judgement). At other times she’s commenting on a book she’s read and much loves and drawing out key elements that make this story so memorable. It’s all here. It’s just spread around.
Her life as a teacher whilst finishing her master’s degree (New Jersey) and later when attempting to complete a PhD. on Jane Austen (Iran) prompt a number of interesting pieces. Her account of leaving Iran is particularly dramatic and scary, as it was driven by events surrounding the country’s revolution of 1978-79. Much later, she led a course on how to write a crime novel in Ernen, Switzerland, where she met a group of book lovers whom she still meets up with to discuss literature.
A further group of pieces focuses on her love for baroque opera and some memorable books she’s read. These are, without exception, very detailed, and here, her love and appreciation for her subject matter shines through. But personally I found these somewhat hard going, for two reasons: firstly because I have no affinity for opera and secondly because none of the books she focuses on are ones I’ve either read or plan to read. I’m sure others will have a different view.
My only criticism of this collection is that though I enjoyed the vast majority of the pieces, I did find it a difficult book to read for any length of time without taking a break. The content is sometimes light and even amusing, but at other times it’s dense and challenging (for me, this was the sections on opera and books). Also, I couldn’t understand the order in which the pieces were placed – it felt random and somewhat disjointed. It didn’t flow. That said, it’s a collection I may well find myself dipping back into from time to time in the future. It really is full of rich pickings.
My thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Well, to a large extent, it does. But this knowledge - her teaching - is spread out in nuggets throughout the many short sections that make up this book. Sometimes she’s reflecting where her ideas for her books came from (black street sellers in Venice prompting Blood from a Stone) or how research is required to better understand a key theme or topic (meeting a Diamond Man in preparation for the same book). Then there’s the need to research characters (meeting a prostitute in preparation for Death and Judgement). At other times she’s commenting on a book she’s read and much loves and drawing out key elements that make this story so memorable. It’s all here. It’s just spread around.
Her life as a teacher whilst finishing her master’s degree (New Jersey) and later when attempting to complete a PhD. on Jane Austen (Iran) prompt a number of interesting pieces. Her account of leaving Iran is particularly dramatic and scary, as it was driven by events surrounding the country’s revolution of 1978-79. Much later, she led a course on how to write a crime novel in Ernen, Switzerland, where she met a group of book lovers whom she still meets up with to discuss literature.
A further group of pieces focuses on her love for baroque opera and some memorable books she’s read. These are, without exception, very detailed, and here, her love and appreciation for her subject matter shines through. But personally I found these somewhat hard going, for two reasons: firstly because I have no affinity for opera and secondly because none of the books she focuses on are ones I’ve either read or plan to read. I’m sure others will have a different view.
My only criticism of this collection is that though I enjoyed the vast majority of the pieces, I did find it a difficult book to read for any length of time without taking a break. The content is sometimes light and even amusing, but at other times it’s dense and challenging (for me, this was the sections on opera and books). Also, I couldn’t understand the order in which the pieces were placed – it felt random and somewhat disjointed. It didn’t flow. That said, it’s a collection I may well find myself dipping back into from time to time in the future. It really is full of rich pickings.
My thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2025
This book of essays is like visiting a friend for tea or coffee or maybe an ombra and sitting down comfortably and listening to them talk about this and that. In this particular case this and that is about being an ex-pat in pre-revolution Iran, Venice and the foibles of neighbours, Baroque opera and favourite books and authors.
Leon's Guido Brunetti books have an easy flow which she brings to the table here as well.
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An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Edelweiss & Netgalley
March 29, 2025
“Backstage” is Donna Leon’s second memoir, following her excellent “Wandering Through Life.” In it, we get another glimpse into the author’s life, this time in a shorter, less structured way. This is not a profound, highbrow autobiography, but rather a conversation over a cup of coffee, where you listen to your friend’s stories.
It is an enjoyable book, and at the same time, it contains wisdom, for example, when Donna Leon describes her walk with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I also appreciated the writer’s discussion of her research methods for her books. Instead of turning to Google – and some of her novels date back to the pre-Google era – the author tries to find people who are experts in the area and meets with them. When writing “Blood from a Stone,” she spent time conversing with a diamond dealer, Filippo, a fascinating man. Similarly, when in “Death and Judgement,” one of the characters was a prostitute; Donna Leon got in touch with Regina, a sex worker, and listened to her terrifying account of meeting and escaping a serial killer.
We learn about Donna Leon’s favorite operas and about writers whose work she admires. There is a lighthearted story about her attending a famous Frank Zappa concert when the fire broke out – and she was in charge of a group of teenagers. All those stories are something you look forward to reading over your relaxing Sunday breakfast when you just want the world to slow down. Commissario Brunetti and his wife, Paola, would undoubtedly appreciate this book — and I also enjoyed it.
It is an enjoyable book, and at the same time, it contains wisdom, for example, when Donna Leon describes her walk with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I also appreciated the writer’s discussion of her research methods for her books. Instead of turning to Google – and some of her novels date back to the pre-Google era – the author tries to find people who are experts in the area and meets with them. When writing “Blood from a Stone,” she spent time conversing with a diamond dealer, Filippo, a fascinating man. Similarly, when in “Death and Judgement,” one of the characters was a prostitute; Donna Leon got in touch with Regina, a sex worker, and listened to her terrifying account of meeting and escaping a serial killer.
We learn about Donna Leon’s favorite operas and about writers whose work she admires. There is a lighthearted story about her attending a famous Frank Zappa concert when the fire broke out – and she was in charge of a group of teenagers. All those stories are something you look forward to reading over your relaxing Sunday breakfast when you just want the world to slow down. Commissario Brunetti and his wife, Paola, would undoubtedly appreciate this book — and I also enjoyed it.
August 5, 2025
3.5 stars. A collection of vignettes by Leon, ranging from her experiences in Iran just before & at the start of the Islamic Revolution, to her favorite authors & their books. Of course this added more to my TBR list, as well as sending me back to her Brunetti series!
April 8, 2025
I went into this expecting, I don't know, something approximating a coherent narrative concerning the author and her, well, writing life. What I got was a decidedly mixed bag of disjointed, let me call them "essays" for lack of a better term, by a lady who clearly thinks very highly of herself, and boy, does she like to hear herself talk.
There are some things of interest here, but like everything else they get chopped up into bits and pieces that pop up here and there throughout this messy casserole of a book, making an appearance when you least expect them to, only to fall by the wayside again after a couple paragraphs because the author has to voice some opinions on, I don't know, the books of Patrick O'Brian or some Neapolitan Catholic rite she was once invited to attend.
The stories she tells about her time in Tehran before and during the revolution come across as the puerile adventures of an American abroad, e.g. regarding the "meaning" of inititials among the Western expats (spoiler alert: it involves the question of who bedded whom). If you don't like, or even don't know your feelings regarding, baroque opera going in, you'll hate it once she starts going on (and on. And on. And on) about it. In a fairly painful case of "okay, Boomer", Ms Leon claims to be a huge fan of Iranian music legend Googoosh, but seems to be under the impression that Googoosh fell off the face of the Earth once Ms Leon left Iran (based on her observation of the lack of activity in the comment section of the singer's YouTube videos), when in fact Googoosh's career is still very much alive and kicking (and good for her).
What I hated most, though, was the way the author would start some anecdote about something weird/funny/crazy that happened to her, only to abandon the story mid-paragraph to go off on another, completely unrelated tangent -- cf. her story about the crazy neighbour lady and her nightly TV sessions, that segues seamlessly from tension-filled hilarity to a treatise on Venetian fireworks (WTF) without any resolution whatsoever.
There's precious little about actual writing, unless your standards are really, really, really low ("One of the most important parts of a writer's life is the research."). Like Brunetti, her one and only creation? So does Ms Leon; in fact, one of the essays consists of a (fairly pointless) love letter to him. She goes on and on about her favourite writers, quoting at length sentences that she deems particularly worthwhile (YMMV; mine certainly did), and there's a whole lot she finds to say about Dickens's Great Expectations, if that's something you're interested in. In between it all she manages to come up with what she thinks "would be a great title for a country and western song -- 'I'm only a lonely cowboy, got only my cows to love.'" Right.
The one thing I'm taking away from this is the fact that Ms Leon's a pantser, going into her novels with nothing more than a vague idea, like, say, why not incorporate something regarding those, watchacallem, "snuff movies" (Never heard of them? No worries: "Ten years before, I had read newspaper accounts of snuff films [...]. A snuff film is a kind of pornographic horror film in which a woman is repeatedly raped, then killed in a bloody fashion. Only it's real: she's really raped and killed. And people pay to buy them and look at them." Just as an aside: "pay to buy them"?!? How else would you buy something? Why else would you pay for something?) and some nifty scenes she came up with: "When I started the book, I was helped by another scene that appeared to me, that of a truck running off an ice-slicked road and bursting open to scatter bodies in the snow. Blood. White. Wheels spinning silently. Silence. Nice, huh?"
I guess...
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
There are some things of interest here, but like everything else they get chopped up into bits and pieces that pop up here and there throughout this messy casserole of a book, making an appearance when you least expect them to, only to fall by the wayside again after a couple paragraphs because the author has to voice some opinions on, I don't know, the books of Patrick O'Brian or some Neapolitan Catholic rite she was once invited to attend.
The stories she tells about her time in Tehran before and during the revolution come across as the puerile adventures of an American abroad, e.g. regarding the "meaning" of inititials among the Western expats (spoiler alert: it involves the question of who bedded whom). If you don't like, or even don't know your feelings regarding, baroque opera going in, you'll hate it once she starts going on (and on. And on. And on) about it. In a fairly painful case of "okay, Boomer", Ms Leon claims to be a huge fan of Iranian music legend Googoosh, but seems to be under the impression that Googoosh fell off the face of the Earth once Ms Leon left Iran (based on her observation of the lack of activity in the comment section of the singer's YouTube videos), when in fact Googoosh's career is still very much alive and kicking (and good for her).
What I hated most, though, was the way the author would start some anecdote about something weird/funny/crazy that happened to her, only to abandon the story mid-paragraph to go off on another, completely unrelated tangent -- cf. her story about the crazy neighbour lady and her nightly TV sessions, that segues seamlessly from tension-filled hilarity to a treatise on Venetian fireworks (WTF) without any resolution whatsoever.
There's precious little about actual writing, unless your standards are really, really, really low ("One of the most important parts of a writer's life is the research."). Like Brunetti, her one and only creation? So does Ms Leon; in fact, one of the essays consists of a (fairly pointless) love letter to him. She goes on and on about her favourite writers, quoting at length sentences that she deems particularly worthwhile (YMMV; mine certainly did), and there's a whole lot she finds to say about Dickens's Great Expectations, if that's something you're interested in. In between it all she manages to come up with what she thinks "would be a great title for a country and western song -- 'I'm only a lonely cowboy, got only my cows to love.'" Right.
The one thing I'm taking away from this is the fact that Ms Leon's a pantser, going into her novels with nothing more than a vague idea, like, say, why not incorporate something regarding those, watchacallem, "snuff movies" (Never heard of them? No worries: "Ten years before, I had read newspaper accounts of snuff films [...]. A snuff film is a kind of pornographic horror film in which a woman is repeatedly raped, then killed in a bloody fashion. Only it's real: she's really raped and killed. And people pay to buy them and look at them." Just as an aside: "pay to buy them"?!? How else would you buy something? Why else would you pay for something?) and some nifty scenes she came up with: "When I started the book, I was helped by another scene that appeared to me, that of a truck running off an ice-slicked road and bursting open to scatter bodies in the snow. Blood. White. Wheels spinning silently. Silence. Nice, huh?"
I guess...
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
July 4, 2025
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.
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.
October 6, 2025
I enjoy Leon’s tart observations, her telling anecdotes. She would make a marvelous companion at an outdoor cafe, sipping a drink and commenting on the passers-by. She’s insightful, but she keeps the reader at a distance.
This book is reminiscent of her previous memoir, Wandering Through Life. The collected vignettes feel almost randomly chosen. The title is Backstage, but it didn’t feel like a more personal view.
This book is reminiscent of her previous memoir, Wandering Through Life. The collected vignettes feel almost randomly chosen. The title is Backstage, but it didn’t feel like a more personal view.
September 27, 2025
Well if I haven’t heard and read enough recommendations for Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander series, Leon may have had me move it up drastically on my to-be-read list.
May 28, 2025
I learned a lot about Donna Leon from reading her thoughts on various topics. Typically backstories and memoirs ish books humanize this one characterized her. She has a high opinion of her intellect and worldview.
Think I’ll stick to her fiction books.
Thank you NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for the advanced copy.
Think I’ll stick to her fiction books.
Thank you NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for the advanced copy.
September 7, 2025
Donna Leon was born in New Jersey, lived in Italy for a while, and currently calls Switzerland home. Although she has spent much of her life writing, she is best known for the 33 novels in her insanely popular Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery series, which is set in Venice.
BACKSTAGE is a departure for Leon and a welcome one, as it contains 32 essays that play directly into the book’s subtitle: “Stories of a Writing Life.” This previously unreleased look into her past is told across these pieces, some as short as a few pages. The result is a work that provides Leon’s longtime readers with an opportunity to see what shaped and inspired her to become the writer we all love and thought we knew.
For the purpose of this review, I am highlighting eight essays that especially resonated with me.
“Cedric”: Directly out of the gates is this account of Leon’s time as a schoolteacher and the emotional connection she made with a student in the predominantly Black school where she taught. The child was troubled initially, but she found a way to get through to him.
“Jack and Jill”: This essay is extremely smart and insightful as it takes the simple nursery rhyme we all know and breaks it down in a narrative way to demonstrate why it provides the perfect framework for everything readers should want in a story.
“Detectives and Villains”: We learn that Leon’s favorite mystery story is Ruth Rendell’s A JUDGEMENT IN STONE, which also features her favorite villain of all time, Eunice Parchman, who tells you all you really need to know about her in the novel’s opening line. Leon’s favorite detective hero? None other than Rendell’s Inspector Wexford.
“The Diamond Man”: Leon speaks to the adage that writers write what they know. However, in certain storylines, a good deal of research must be done. In this essay, she talks about the diamond expert who helped her greatly in penning BLOOD FROM A STONE.
“Great Expectations”: Leon confesses that the one novel she keeps returning to is Charles Dickens’ GREAT EXPECTATIONS. She first fell in love with the book at the age of 15 and explains how her understanding of and appreciation for it has changed as she has matured and gained more life experience.
“Regina”: Leon goes a little deeper into how she conducts research for her novels. In this case, to better understand the world of the Italian prostitute in Venice for DEATH AND JUDGMENT, she befriended a local prostitute and comments on her difficult and tragic life.
“San Gennaro”: For me, the name San Gennaro will always be connected to the terrific street and food festival held in New York City, the Feast of San Gennaro. I appreciate it even more after reading this essay from Leon, who experiences the same thing at the location where it all started in Italy.
“A New Case for Brunetti”: Leon gives us a peek into how she creates characters for her stories, specifically those from the Brunetti novels. It is nice to see how her methods may differ from the structure many other authors she knows uses and how she consistently has gone out of her way to make sure that the principal characters from her series have been allowed to grow into complex, real people.
BACKSTAGE is filled with insight into Donna Leon’s mind. But more importantly, it sets up her process from the earliest point in her career straight through to her status as a regular on the global bestseller list. It also makes me that much more eager to read and appreciate her next Guido Brunetti novel.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
BACKSTAGE is a departure for Leon and a welcome one, as it contains 32 essays that play directly into the book’s subtitle: “Stories of a Writing Life.” This previously unreleased look into her past is told across these pieces, some as short as a few pages. The result is a work that provides Leon’s longtime readers with an opportunity to see what shaped and inspired her to become the writer we all love and thought we knew.
For the purpose of this review, I am highlighting eight essays that especially resonated with me.
“Cedric”: Directly out of the gates is this account of Leon’s time as a schoolteacher and the emotional connection she made with a student in the predominantly Black school where she taught. The child was troubled initially, but she found a way to get through to him.
“Jack and Jill”: This essay is extremely smart and insightful as it takes the simple nursery rhyme we all know and breaks it down in a narrative way to demonstrate why it provides the perfect framework for everything readers should want in a story.
“Detectives and Villains”: We learn that Leon’s favorite mystery story is Ruth Rendell’s A JUDGEMENT IN STONE, which also features her favorite villain of all time, Eunice Parchman, who tells you all you really need to know about her in the novel’s opening line. Leon’s favorite detective hero? None other than Rendell’s Inspector Wexford.
“The Diamond Man”: Leon speaks to the adage that writers write what they know. However, in certain storylines, a good deal of research must be done. In this essay, she talks about the diamond expert who helped her greatly in penning BLOOD FROM A STONE.
“Great Expectations”: Leon confesses that the one novel she keeps returning to is Charles Dickens’ GREAT EXPECTATIONS. She first fell in love with the book at the age of 15 and explains how her understanding of and appreciation for it has changed as she has matured and gained more life experience.
“Regina”: Leon goes a little deeper into how she conducts research for her novels. In this case, to better understand the world of the Italian prostitute in Venice for DEATH AND JUDGMENT, she befriended a local prostitute and comments on her difficult and tragic life.
“San Gennaro”: For me, the name San Gennaro will always be connected to the terrific street and food festival held in New York City, the Feast of San Gennaro. I appreciate it even more after reading this essay from Leon, who experiences the same thing at the location where it all started in Italy.
“A New Case for Brunetti”: Leon gives us a peek into how she creates characters for her stories, specifically those from the Brunetti novels. It is nice to see how her methods may differ from the structure many other authors she knows uses and how she consistently has gone out of her way to make sure that the principal characters from her series have been allowed to grow into complex, real people.
BACKSTAGE is filled with insight into Donna Leon’s mind. But more importantly, it sets up her process from the earliest point in her career straight through to her status as a regular on the global bestseller list. It also makes me that much more eager to read and appreciate her next Guido Brunetti novel.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
September 6, 2025
Author Donna Leon was born in New Jersey, lived for a while in Italy, and currently calls Switzerland home. Although she has spent much of her life writing, she is best known for the thirty-three novels in the insanely popular Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery/Crime series which is set in Venice.
BACKSTAGE is a departure for Leon and a welcome one, as it contains thirty-two essays that play directly into the subtitle of this book: “Stories Of A Writing Life.” It is an ideal a previously unreleased look into her past which is told across these essays, some as short as a few pages. The end result is a work which provides her long-time readers with an opportunity to see what shaped and inspired Leon to become the writer we all love and thought we knew.
For the purpose of this review, I am highlighting a handful of essays that particularly resonated with me:
• Cedric – directly out of the gates and contained in the section of the book entitled ‘Early in Life’, is this story about Leon’s time as a schoolteacher and the emotional connection she made to a small black student in the predominantly black school she taught in who was initially troubled but she found a way to get through to him.
• Jack and Jill – this essay was extremely smart and insightful as it took the simple nursery rhyme we all knew and broke it down in a narrative way and defends why it provides the perfect framework for everything readers should want from a story. It is this glimpse --- or its absence --- that is the magic of fiction.
• Detectives and Villains – we learn that Leon’s favorite mystery story was Ruth Rendell’s A JUDGEMENT IN STONE. She also claims that her favorite Detective hero was Rendell’s Inspector Wexford and that this novel also contained her favorite all-time villain, Eunice Parchman, who tells you all you really need to know about her in the opening line of the novel.
• The Diamond Man – Leon speaks to the adage that writers write what they know. However, in certain storylines, a good deal of research must be done. She speaks specifically here in this essay about the diamond expert who helped her greatly in penning the Brunetti title BLOOD FROM A STONE.
• Great Expectations – the one novel Leon confesses to keep returning to is the classic GREAT EXPECTATIONS from Charles Dickens. She first fell in love with it at the age of fifteen and speaks to how her understanding and appreciation for it has changed as she has matured and gained more life experience, a situation I would hope all readers experience with their favorite novels.
• Regina – Leon goes a little deeper into how she researches for her novels. In this case, to better understand the world of the Italian prostitute in Venice for the Brunetti novel DEATH AND JUDGEMENT, she befriended a local prostitute named Regina and comments on her difficult and tragic life.
• San Gennaro – for me, the name San Gennaro will always be connected to the terrific street and food festival held in NYC as The Feast Of San Gennaro. I have further appreciation for it after reading this essay from Leon who experiences the same thing at the location where it all started in Italy.
• A New Case For Brunetti – Leon gives us a peek into how she creates characters for her stories, specifically those from the Brunetti series. It was nice to see how her methods may differ from the structure many other authors she knows use and how she has consistently gone out of her way to make sure the principle characters from her recurring series have been allowed to grow into complex, real people.
BACKSTAGE is filled with insight into the mind of Donna Leon. More than that, it sets up her process from the earliest point in her career straight through her status as a regular on the global best-seller list. This work also makes me that much more eager to read and appreciate the next Guido Brunetti novel.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
BACKSTAGE is a departure for Leon and a welcome one, as it contains thirty-two essays that play directly into the subtitle of this book: “Stories Of A Writing Life.” It is an ideal a previously unreleased look into her past which is told across these essays, some as short as a few pages. The end result is a work which provides her long-time readers with an opportunity to see what shaped and inspired Leon to become the writer we all love and thought we knew.
For the purpose of this review, I am highlighting a handful of essays that particularly resonated with me:
• Cedric – directly out of the gates and contained in the section of the book entitled ‘Early in Life’, is this story about Leon’s time as a schoolteacher and the emotional connection she made to a small black student in the predominantly black school she taught in who was initially troubled but she found a way to get through to him.
• Jack and Jill – this essay was extremely smart and insightful as it took the simple nursery rhyme we all knew and broke it down in a narrative way and defends why it provides the perfect framework for everything readers should want from a story. It is this glimpse --- or its absence --- that is the magic of fiction.
• Detectives and Villains – we learn that Leon’s favorite mystery story was Ruth Rendell’s A JUDGEMENT IN STONE. She also claims that her favorite Detective hero was Rendell’s Inspector Wexford and that this novel also contained her favorite all-time villain, Eunice Parchman, who tells you all you really need to know about her in the opening line of the novel.
• The Diamond Man – Leon speaks to the adage that writers write what they know. However, in certain storylines, a good deal of research must be done. She speaks specifically here in this essay about the diamond expert who helped her greatly in penning the Brunetti title BLOOD FROM A STONE.
• Great Expectations – the one novel Leon confesses to keep returning to is the classic GREAT EXPECTATIONS from Charles Dickens. She first fell in love with it at the age of fifteen and speaks to how her understanding and appreciation for it has changed as she has matured and gained more life experience, a situation I would hope all readers experience with their favorite novels.
• Regina – Leon goes a little deeper into how she researches for her novels. In this case, to better understand the world of the Italian prostitute in Venice for the Brunetti novel DEATH AND JUDGEMENT, she befriended a local prostitute named Regina and comments on her difficult and tragic life.
• San Gennaro – for me, the name San Gennaro will always be connected to the terrific street and food festival held in NYC as The Feast Of San Gennaro. I have further appreciation for it after reading this essay from Leon who experiences the same thing at the location where it all started in Italy.
• A New Case For Brunetti – Leon gives us a peek into how she creates characters for her stories, specifically those from the Brunetti series. It was nice to see how her methods may differ from the structure many other authors she knows use and how she has consistently gone out of her way to make sure the principle characters from her recurring series have been allowed to grow into complex, real people.
BACKSTAGE is filled with insight into the mind of Donna Leon. More than that, it sets up her process from the earliest point in her career straight through her status as a regular on the global best-seller list. This work also makes me that much more eager to read and appreciate the next Guido Brunetti novel.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
March 15, 2025
Donna Leon, Backstage Stories of a Writing Life, Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press, August 2025.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Donna Leon’s Wandering through Life: A Memoir was a satisfying enough collection, particularly where she reflects upon her teaching English in Iran, China, and Saudi Arabia. Although this experience is also recalled in Backstage, I found the whole of this collection far more engaging. Here, another part of Donna Leon’s world is revealed, in sharper recall, more wholly reflecting her fictional work. Like Wanderings her welcome into this further world is open and honest. However, the attention it commands and, at times, background knowledge to fully appreciate it adds a valuable dimension. This world is introduced through opera, her own writing, others’ writing, her love for Venice and her work that seems so remote from Brunetti’s Venetian world but is indeed hers too.
Referring to her own writing, Leon provides enlightening information about her research – both prostitution (Death and Judgement) and diamonds (Blood from a Stone) feature here. She dwells almost devotedly on Ruth Rendell’s work, drawing attention to the immensely valuable role of the first sentence of A Judgement in Stone, written as Barbara Vine. Although a reader of Ruth Rendall/Barbara Vine, and familiar with the other writers she extols, Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald and Patrick O’Brian, Leon’s appraisal makes the works sound so absorbing it is hard to avoid the temptation to put aside other writers and become more closely acquainted with them.
Similarly, her love of opera is quite beguiling, not only because of her enthusiasm, but because what is almost pedagogy is so adroit. Venice, a known love through her novels, becomes another lure as its past and present glances through the collection.
The collection is grouped around the tiles Early in Life, Heroes, String-Pulling in Venice, Mortal Danger, Trips, Behind the Scene, Amorality, Love Moment of Truth, and Ends. Together the pieces in each, of varying lengths and intensity make Backstage an engrossing work of affection for other writers, opera, Venice and her own flawed Commissario Brunetti.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Donna Leon’s Wandering through Life: A Memoir was a satisfying enough collection, particularly where she reflects upon her teaching English in Iran, China, and Saudi Arabia. Although this experience is also recalled in Backstage, I found the whole of this collection far more engaging. Here, another part of Donna Leon’s world is revealed, in sharper recall, more wholly reflecting her fictional work. Like Wanderings her welcome into this further world is open and honest. However, the attention it commands and, at times, background knowledge to fully appreciate it adds a valuable dimension. This world is introduced through opera, her own writing, others’ writing, her love for Venice and her work that seems so remote from Brunetti’s Venetian world but is indeed hers too.
Referring to her own writing, Leon provides enlightening information about her research – both prostitution (Death and Judgement) and diamonds (Blood from a Stone) feature here. She dwells almost devotedly on Ruth Rendell’s work, drawing attention to the immensely valuable role of the first sentence of A Judgement in Stone, written as Barbara Vine. Although a reader of Ruth Rendall/Barbara Vine, and familiar with the other writers she extols, Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald and Patrick O’Brian, Leon’s appraisal makes the works sound so absorbing it is hard to avoid the temptation to put aside other writers and become more closely acquainted with them.
Similarly, her love of opera is quite beguiling, not only because of her enthusiasm, but because what is almost pedagogy is so adroit. Venice, a known love through her novels, becomes another lure as its past and present glances through the collection.
The collection is grouped around the tiles Early in Life, Heroes, String-Pulling in Venice, Mortal Danger, Trips, Behind the Scene, Amorality, Love Moment of Truth, and Ends. Together the pieces in each, of varying lengths and intensity make Backstage an engrossing work of affection for other writers, opera, Venice and her own flawed Commissario Brunetti.
June 11, 2025
The author of the wonderful Brunetti series shares her personal experiences in this short, non-fiction volume. Some of the stories are already in her memoir, “Wandering through Life”, but much of the content is new. Mostly, about her writing, her friendship with other authors and many interesting people. It feels sometimes a bit disconnected, like when she goes from her trip through Italy to her love for the Patrick O’Brien’s “Master and Commander” series but, in general, this feels like sitting for coffee with Leon and listening to her talk. I loved her letter to Brunetti, as well as the part where she discloses how she gets the ideas for her novels. Being familiar with the series, I caught every reference. She is unquestionably a great writer and when she talks about the authors and books that have inspired her, it is easy to see the imprint on her novels. I also enjoyed her thoughts about opera. While not a how-to manual, it should still be required reading for aspiring writers. Fans of Commissario Brunetti will also love this book.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press.
September 26, 2025
Donna Leon, the creator of the incomparable Comissario Brunetti, is one of my favorite authors. In this collection of essays, she writes about crime, books , opera, family and more books. Leon has a wicked sense of humor, usually lurking under the surface of her prose. In Tell 'Em Anything, She writes of her time in Tehran, teaching English to Iranian helicopter pilots. This was apparently boring, she complained to a friend who was in charge of the testing department. He suggested that she transfer to that. "And do what?" inquired Leon. "Play tennis," responded her friend. And so she did, for hours every morning.
Donna Leon is nothing if not a deep thinker, mirroring Brunetti, her creation. She ruminates on detectives and their bad guys, (her favorite detective is Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford), heroes, a prostitute she once interviewed, Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, Patrick O'Brian's The Mauritius Command, and various other topics, all in elegant prose. This is a great book. If you are in love with Brunetti, as I am, and think Leon should write a cookbook, as I do, read this book.
Donna Leon is nothing if not a deep thinker, mirroring Brunetti, her creation. She ruminates on detectives and their bad guys, (her favorite detective is Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford), heroes, a prostitute she once interviewed, Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, Patrick O'Brian's The Mauritius Command, and various other topics, all in elegant prose. This is a great book. If you are in love with Brunetti, as I am, and think Leon should write a cookbook, as I do, read this book.
February 7, 2025
I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
As a long time fan of the Inspector Brunetti novels, I was eager to read this book of essays from the author and was not disappointed. The short essays focus on various aspects of her life and the sources of inspiration for her books. There are accounts of the challenges of living in Venice, the colourful characters she meets in the course of doing research for her novels. She recounts on episodes in her life including a dramatic time as an English teacher in Iran around the time of the revolution, and reflects what she has learnt from them.
The details in each of her stories make them satisfying to read and the touches of humour add to the pleasure. We learn about her love of baroque opera, the writers she admires (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Ruth Rendell amongst others) as well as her thoughts on writing and what has motivated her own work.
It was an easy and enjoyable read and felt like a couple of hours spent in the company of an compassionate, erudite and thoughtful person.
As a long time fan of the Inspector Brunetti novels, I was eager to read this book of essays from the author and was not disappointed. The short essays focus on various aspects of her life and the sources of inspiration for her books. There are accounts of the challenges of living in Venice, the colourful characters she meets in the course of doing research for her novels. She recounts on episodes in her life including a dramatic time as an English teacher in Iran around the time of the revolution, and reflects what she has learnt from them.
The details in each of her stories make them satisfying to read and the touches of humour add to the pleasure. We learn about her love of baroque opera, the writers she admires (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Ruth Rendell amongst others) as well as her thoughts on writing and what has motivated her own work.
It was an easy and enjoyable read and felt like a couple of hours spent in the company of an compassionate, erudite and thoughtful person.
September 17, 2025
The essay about gardening was a very pleasant surprise because my mother, like the author’s, was a passionate gardener. I, too, can recall shoveling aged manure into feed sacks at her direction and driving it locked away in the trunk of my car from my parents’ farm in New Jersey to my new garden hundreds of miles away. My mother insisted that it was not possible to make a proper garden without it and she was right. Thank goodness the weather was pleasant that day and I could drive with all the car windows open.
Like Donna Leon, I adore Patrick O’Brien and was heartbroken when I reached the last of his Aubrey &
Maturin tales. This essay reminds me that it’s probably time to listen again to Patrick Tull’s marvelous narration of those incomparable stories. Similarly, when I am sadly informed that there will be no more Guido Brunetti stories - hopefully in the distant future - I will begin rereading them to console myself. Thankfully, I have a complete and much cherished collection.
Like Donna Leon, I adore Patrick O’Brien and was heartbroken when I reached the last of his Aubrey &
Maturin tales. This essay reminds me that it’s probably time to listen again to Patrick Tull’s marvelous narration of those incomparable stories. Similarly, when I am sadly informed that there will be no more Guido Brunetti stories - hopefully in the distant future - I will begin rereading them to console myself. Thankfully, I have a complete and much cherished collection.
June 30, 2025
I haven’t yet finished all of Donna Leon’s Brunetti novels, but I’m well into the 20’s, so was thrilled to recieve this arc of her memoir.
Written in a very conversational way, one could almost imagine sitting with her over a series of meetings, hearing her tell these stories.
Full of references to Shakespeare, opera, and other works of literature from the classics to her favorite modern crime writers, you end up with a lengthy list of art to go away and enjoy, if you haven’t already discovered it (and almost all the works she mentions are new to me). Writing advice and opinion are interspersed with anecdotes from her own history and thoughts on what makes a great book or opera work the way that it does.
The tone reminds me of the Brunetti books in a lot of ways as she tells her own story, and if you’re a fan of those I think you’ll love this.
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Written in a very conversational way, one could almost imagine sitting with her over a series of meetings, hearing her tell these stories.
Full of references to Shakespeare, opera, and other works of literature from the classics to her favorite modern crime writers, you end up with a lengthy list of art to go away and enjoy, if you haven’t already discovered it (and almost all the works she mentions are new to me). Writing advice and opinion are interspersed with anecdotes from her own history and thoughts on what makes a great book or opera work the way that it does.
The tone reminds me of the Brunetti books in a lot of ways as she tells her own story, and if you’re a fan of those I think you’ll love this.
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
November 6, 2025
Ik ben niet heel erg onder de indruk van dit boek. Stories of a writing life, door die ondertitel op de omslag werd ik verleid. Maar het is eerder een verzameling van van alles en nog wat. Waarvan de stukken over schrijven nog het aardigst zijn, en dan voornamelijk over de research die Leon voor haar boeken deed en de ontmoetingen die ze daarvoor met uiteenlopende mensen had, zoals een prostituee en een juwelier. Ook de stukken over collega thriller schrijvers zoals Ruth Rendell, Ross Mac Donald en Raymond Chandler waren interessant.
Onlangs las ik ook een dergelijk boek van Frida Vogels, In den vreemde, met allerlei losse stukken die niet eerder gepubliceerd zijn. Wat een verschil! De stukken van Vogels zijn zoveel eerlijker en onderzoekender, terwijl Leon alle “ wit and charm” die ze in huis heeft, heeft ingezet. Een onheuse vergelijking, ik begrijp het. En ik heb altijd genoten van Leons boeken over Brunetti. Dus ere wie ere toekomt.
Onlangs las ik ook een dergelijk boek van Frida Vogels, In den vreemde, met allerlei losse stukken die niet eerder gepubliceerd zijn. Wat een verschil! De stukken van Vogels zijn zoveel eerlijker en onderzoekender, terwijl Leon alle “ wit and charm” die ze in huis heeft, heeft ingezet. Een onheuse vergelijking, ik begrijp het. En ik heb altijd genoten van Leons boeken over Brunetti. Dus ere wie ere toekomt.
August 24, 2025
Dona Leon’s autobiography is a fabulous collection of the influences that have made her. From time teaching school to teaching English to helicopter pilots in Tehran to travelling to Italy. She reflects on the importance of writers she has admired and learnt from, especially Ruth Randall the best writer of crime novels in her view. We also get the explore the wonders of Venice that have influenced her many Inspector Brunetti novels. Including an amazing tour of churches and their dubious collections of relics. The piece from this that is so beautifully written is her interview with two prostitutes and the story that they tell. What a beautiful addition to understanding what has formed her. Thanks to @netgalley and the publisherfor the opportunity to review this book. I really enjoyed the writing.
March 7, 2025
I loved this. I find writer’s diaries, notebooks, thoughts, fascinating and Donna Leon has produced an essay collection/biographical notebook that achieves all I need. We get glimpses into her early life (I loved the story with Cedric), teaching in Iraq, her writing process, her friendships and love of Brunetti.
The work comprises short little diversions, like you’re chatting with her over a cappuccino, and she’s determined to keep you entertained. I especially enjoyed her ‘fangirling’ over other writers as I believe that’s where authors show their true colours. And I do agree that Ruth Rendell is amazing.
I wish I knew Ms Leon as I’d love to chat writing and life with her.
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley
The work comprises short little diversions, like you’re chatting with her over a cappuccino, and she’s determined to keep you entertained. I especially enjoyed her ‘fangirling’ over other writers as I believe that’s where authors show their true colours. And I do agree that Ruth Rendell is amazing.
I wish I knew Ms Leon as I’d love to chat writing and life with her.
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley
November 6, 2025
Donna Leon mixes essays about her life experiences with her lifetime of reading and her writing to provide some interesting and fascinating insights into the world of a writer.
Leon talks to many great writers and their works but one of the lines I liked most that she quotes is from Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his "Dejection: An Ode"
"I see them all, so excellently fair,
I see, not feel, how beautiful they are!”
Coleridge is talking to seeing the coming of the night sky and its glory... but the main point Leon makes is thar too many people only see things without the hoped for reciprocal emotion or feeling...
Overall some great insights into literature, writing, reading and life.
Leon talks to many great writers and their works but one of the lines I liked most that she quotes is from Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his "Dejection: An Ode"
"I see them all, so excellently fair,
I see, not feel, how beautiful they are!”
Coleridge is talking to seeing the coming of the night sky and its glory... but the main point Leon makes is thar too many people only see things without the hoped for reciprocal emotion or feeling...
Overall some great insights into literature, writing, reading and life.
November 6, 2025
Highly recommended.
Although this is a small book of essays and recollections from a writer’s life, they are entertaining, enlightening and life affirming. There may be a little too much about opera and Handel for those with little acquaintance, and she references some works repeatedly, but otherwise the pieces range far and wide in subject matter, although many are about aspects of Italy or writers. So it helps to be interested in these topics.
Ten to twenty years ago I read nearly twenty of Leon’s novels, enjoying the humanity of her detective, Brunetti, as well her descriptions of Venice. Leon brings her humanity and descriptive language to these short pieces, a literary box of chocolates.
Although this is a small book of essays and recollections from a writer’s life, they are entertaining, enlightening and life affirming. There may be a little too much about opera and Handel for those with little acquaintance, and she references some works repeatedly, but otherwise the pieces range far and wide in subject matter, although many are about aspects of Italy or writers. So it helps to be interested in these topics.
Ten to twenty years ago I read nearly twenty of Leon’s novels, enjoying the humanity of her detective, Brunetti, as well her descriptions of Venice. Leon brings her humanity and descriptive language to these short pieces, a literary box of chocolates.
November 14, 2025
I'm a long time fan of Donna Leon's Brunetti series of Venetian police procedurals and her ability to create characters who seem so real. I was hoping for more insights into Leon's writing life but they are small nuggets scattered throughout this short book. It is more filled with snippets of memories; some are entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed the Diamond Man" a memory of research for a Brunetti book of the past. She pays tribute to mysteries of Ruth Rendell, Raymond Chandler and Ross McDonald; she didn't like the Scarlet Pimpernel but I did as a kid. All in all Backstage is a diversion but it's quick and easy reading if you're a devoted fan.
August 26, 2025
Thank you to publisher Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy of “Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life.” It can be seen as a companion piece to Leon’s previous memoir “Wandering Through Life.” Ms. Leon’s Brunetti series has been a favorite of mine for years, and a highlight of this book is the chapter that has a letter to Commissario Guido Brunetti. In “Backstage” Leon takes readers through her life as a reader and a writer…favorite authors and life experiences that have influenced her writing. And of course, opera, a love of Leon’s.
September 14, 2025
I've now read nearly all the Brunetti novels and I really enjoyed My Venice but this was a severe disappointment as it fell so far short of both my expectations and previous experience of Donna Leon's writing. These short pieces - and they're very short - are missing the usual spark; reading more like a succession of creative writing exercises done by rote rather than anything inspired. For devoted fans only.
September 15, 2025
In some ways I’m a bit disappointed. But all collections of “shorts” are bound to have some you like, some you don’t, and some that make no sense at all.
There was a bit of repetition from her previous book of reflections. Has Leon run out of ideas and now publishes for the sake of publishing her life’s reflections and opinions on her favorite authors and operas instead? I would have rather had another Brunetti mystery.
There was a bit of repetition from her previous book of reflections. Has Leon run out of ideas and now publishes for the sake of publishing her life’s reflections and opinions on her favorite authors and operas instead? I would have rather had another Brunetti mystery.
February 17, 2025
I found this to be an interesting but uneven essay collection. Many of the essays were very short in length and felt slapdash.
For me, the pieces on Leon's early teaching in Iran and notes on writing the Brunetti novels were by far the most interesting and I would have liked to have seen more memoir material included.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy.
For me, the pieces on Leon's early teaching in Iran and notes on writing the Brunetti novels were by far the most interesting and I would have liked to have seen more memoir material included.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy.
September 2, 2025
As a huge fan of Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti series, reading the stories of her life was a real treat. Her conversational writing style made me feel like she was sitting across the table while giving me the inside scoop on how she morphed from a teacher to a writer. Adding in her love of opera made it even sweeter.
Bellissima!
Bellissima!
September 11, 2025
An enjoyable quick read, a group of essays from an author whose work I have always liked. I was pleased to find that she shared my enthusiasm for the work of Ruth Rendell - I often wonder what books my favourite authors like. And of course glimpses into her inspiration for the Brunetti novels are fascinating if you are a fan.
November 3, 2025
Interesting reflections of the author’s research, basic writing tenets, and discussion of admired writers’ talents in authorship of a shared genre. A good book, but one easy to set down or forget about.
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