An easy summer read, proving there is never a bad time to visit Venice.
Meet Me in Venice is Australian romantic drama writer, Barbara Hannay’s tenth novel for Penguin Books, with a shift in direction from her usual rural Australian settings to exotic Venice.
In this multi-generational story, a widow’s grief and desire to reunite her remaining family leads to conflict and the exposure of secrets, while examining what it is to really love others. One year on from her husband’s sudden death, Daisy Benetto continues to mourn his loss. She misses her three children being together as a family and barely sees her youngest daughter — a recent high school graduate occupied by her new-found freedom. Her middle daughter is in London earning her living as an actress and enjoying the glamorous lifestyle, while her son lives in Silicon Valley with his wife.
Alone and lonely, Daisy devises a plan to recapture the happiness of their past by reuniting her children with a trip to their father’s birthplace, Venice. The nostalgia, she thinks, will do them all good and she’ll have her whole family together again. However, the best laid plans don’t always work out and it appears that Daisy is no exception. This is especially true when her children’s lives and that of her late husband are not quite what they seem, leaving Daisy to investigate if her husband had really harboured a secret double life and are her children now doing the same?
Barbara Hannay makes light work of the topics of grief and loss, which in other hands could be heavy. This is assisted in part by her use of alternately narrated chapters featuring each of the Benetto family characters. These differing viewpoints keep the narrative interesting, adding to the layers of mystery and intrigue. It also acts as an effective device to connect the reader to the story on various levels, sustaining interest in discovering more about each individual.
There are multiple subplots, with each character finding and rekindling their own romances throughout. The reader cannot help but connect with members of the Benetto family, perhaps identifying aspects of themselves in the sibling’s interactions, rivalries and fears.
The universal themes of love, family and relationships run throughout the book making it appealing to a broad audience. It is however, a romance at its core, offering up multiple romantic subplots, some more convincing than others. It is most likely that those with their own adult children will relate best to Daisy’s story.
Those familiar with Hannay’s previous work will note the change from her most commonly utilised backdrop of rural and outback Australia. The sights, sounds and atmosphere of Venice are successfully captured and brought to life on the page through wonderful use of description.
This latest work from Hannay makes an easy summer read, proving there is never a bad time to visit Venice, even if it is just through the page.
Reviewed by Daniella Feltrin
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: August 2019
RRP: $32.99
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