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In this emotionally charged romantic mystery set in contemporary Venice, the protagonist, who has always believed her mother to be dead, sets out to uncover her roots among the palaces and narrow alleys that line the Grand Canal.At her side is Leonardo, the son of an irresponsible and roguish painter, who abandoned him as a child. In their search, the two young people stumble upon shocking discoveries that will ultimately lead them to Paris's La Santé Prison.The novel explores themes of identity, belonging, and the search for the meaning of family ties amid the beauty and mystery of Venice. It tells the story of three generations of women—each different from the others, each burdened by her own fragility, secrets, lies, and deceptions that push her to the edge.Through a series of revelations, hidden truths, and unexpected events, a small light manages to emerge—concealed in the anagram of the word 'oleandro'.It is, ultimately, also a beautiful love story.
An Investigation Steeped in Mystery, Set Against the Enchantment of VeniceIn the magical atmosphere of contemporary Venice— and, at times, in Paris—unfolds the moving love story between Federica and Leonardo.The lagoon city becomes the magnificent stage for the intertwined destinies of three generations of women, each lost in her own way.Aurora, consumed by selfishness, amorality, and cruelty, devastates everyone around her—her parents, her husband, and above all, her daughter.Loredana, fragile and adrift, flees into a reckless life that leads her from the streets to addiction and beyond. Once a victim of her mother's cruelty and her partner's betrayal, she in turn becomes the tormentor of her own child, whom she abandons as a baby.Only when she comes of age does Federica discover that the mother she believed dead is still alive. To find her, she must embark on a journey filled with secrets, deceptions, and painful truths—helped by Leonardo, a nearly graduated medical student who was himself abandoned as a child by his father.Victim of a mother's absence, Federica now faces a choice: to repeat the cruelty that has haunted her family for generations, or to break the cycle and redeem them all through courage, forgiveness, and love.
Elsa Zambonini Durul was born in Belluno, in the Alps north of Venice, and taught English in the province's state schools upon graduation.
Since childhood, she has spent her summer holidays at her family home in Jesolo, even after moving to Turkey and having children, with frequent trips to nearby Venice. She moved to Istanbul after getting married and continued her teaching career for a few years at the Italian High School in this ancient metropolis, a chapter of her life that inspired her four-part series: 'Lo stivale d`oro di Istanbul' (The Golden Boot of Istanbul). Istanbul - il viaggio interrotto; Acque del Bosforo Acque del Piave; Andrea e Andrea).
Passionate about cultural and exotic travel, she is linked to the two cultures that have shaped her life: her native Italian and her adopted Turkish one. She holds regular Italian language and culture conversations at the Circolo Roma, the oldest Italian cultural and recreational association in Istanbul.
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