Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Handel’s Bestiary: In Search of Animals in Handel’s Operas | 2010 | Donna Leon | Buy |
| 2 | Venetian Curiosities | 2012 | Donna Leon | Buy |
| 3 | My Venice and Other Essays | 2013 | Donna Leon | Buy |
| 4 | Gondola | 2013 | Donna Leon | Buy |
| 5 | Wandering Through Life: A Memoir | 2023 | Donna Leon | Buy |
| 6 | Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life | 2025 | Donna Leon | Buy |
Donna Leon’s non-fiction work reveals the interests that shaped her Brunetti novels. Venice and opera are the two main threads. My Venice and Other Essays and Venetian Curiosities collect her observations about daily life in the city, while Gondola explores the history and cultural meaning of Venice’s most famous boat.
Her interest in opera produced Handel’s Bestiary, a book about the way animals appear in Handel’s operas. Wandering Through Life, her 2023 memoir, covers her years living in Switzerland, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, and Italy, giving context to how a New Jersey-born writer ended up spending three decades in Venice. Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life (2025) collects further reflections on her career and the writing process.