Venice, a Cat and a Koala

Mel Barra

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Why I wrote this book

Why did I write Venice, a Cat and a Koala?

I hope to share with my readers my passion for Venice (the Venice that most tourists don't see) and my interest in the lives of Venetians (including a Venice horror-struck by 9/11). My fascination with family history, and the shock of the death of an old friend through a genetic disease, fuse with the emotion Venice inspires in me.

Synopsis

Emma Andrews has quit London for Venice after a family quarrel at her beloved grandmother's funeral. She would not have believed that Venice 'could possess me so completely to the exclusion of grief, tiredness and my family'. She remembers gaping on her arrival at the incredible wonder of it all – the Rialto bridge amazingly there to her right to walk over, the moonlight on the canal, the dark-veined clouds in the intense blue sky over the places. She meets Toni, a Venetian hotel owner, whose life also is overshadowed by his family history.

They both show a normal face to the world, but their backgrounds provoke erratic behaviour in their personal lives. They both look for light out of the darkness, like the saints kneeling before the sun at the church of San Giobbe.

Other Venetians have their stories, including Maria whose son works in Manhattan.

Emma and Toni's relationship unfolds against the background of Venice – St Mark's and its piazza, Harry's Bar, San Giovanni in Bragora where the composer Vivaldi was christened, the captivating island of Torcello, and a Venice shaken by the events of 9/11 in New York.

About the Author

Mela Barra is a habitué of Venice and knows well both Its famous places and those less familiar to tourists. She is a member of Dingo, the Venetian animal welfare association. Mela was educated at Withington Girls School, Manchester and the University of London. She lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband and their cat.

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