Wandering Through Life is the name of a memoir by Donna Leon, the author of the many wonderful Commissario Brunetti mystery novels set in Venice. I have read all the Brunettis and fallen in love with him, his wife and Venice. This memoir is so interesting because it shows that Leon has led a most adventurous life during the past 80 years. Living in New Jersey with her parents and brother, she would occasionally visit her grandfather on his farm. With her love of animals and nature, it felt like paradise. And after her parents moved the family to a small house on the farm, Leon’s love of nature was confirmed. These times are in contrast to her later adventures which span the globe. She applied for a job teaching English in Iran by post and months later landed in Isfahan, an employee of the Telemedia company (called “tell l’em Anything” by its employees). Two weeks later, she found herself teaching English to members of the Iranian Air Force. When China opened its doors, she was offered a year’s contract as a professor of English Literature at the University of Suzhou,100 miles from Shanghai. Next, Leon moved to Saudi Arabia, where she and her friends made up a game called $audiopoly. This wonderful game makes up for the price of the book. I won’t go into its complicated details, but they derived a lot of pleasure from playing it. After some time teaching English literature to members of the army at the University of Maryland, Leon found herself in Italy, and it was there she found the love of her life. This to me is the best part of the book, as I am a complete Italy lover – it is the one country I would love to live in. Unfortunately, the first part of this section is about the end of a love affair; Leon no longer wants to live in her beloved Venice. But there are things to be enjoyed along the way. One of the chapter headings is The Perfect Cappuccino. A creature of habit, she went to the same bar where the brioche was wonderful and the coffee only acceptable. After her friends told her she could do better, she decided to look further afar. I won’t say more, but this is to me, so Italian. Another chapter is called waiting for the plumber, something that happens, not just in Italy. There is so much in this part of the book, it is hard to write about it. Just a few more things: first of all she fell in love with Tosca, knowing that it is not taken seriously by some opera lovers, but she didn’t care. Next it was hearing, when walking home through a fog-blinded Venice in a campo, the angels singing Hallelujah. She stopped to listen, and thought it had to be Handel and it had to be the Hallelujah chorus – what else in a fog-filled campo near the church of Santa Maria Formosa?  Then she heard I know that My Redeemer Liveth and she knew it came from the church. Seeing the door slightly open, she slipped in and was moved to tears during the four-minute choral “amen” – something that has happened to me. She was now a life-long Handel lover. I will just touch on the reasons that the love affair with Venice is over. Of course it is the cruise ships and the 30 million tourists a year, and after 50 wonderful years together, it is time to go. Although asking for a divorce, she still loves the country and it is the love of her life. There is so much in this book. I haven’t touched much on her early years or what happens after Venice, but to find out you must buy the book, which is written with great charm and wit. – Janice