From the author of the acclaimed Venetian Stories, a captivating new collection about Venice from the perspective of its residents. A professor writes lectures on Venetian literature for American millionaires. A baroness falls in love with the architect restoring the ancient palazzo of her husband’s family. An ambitious gallery owner sells a young artist’s work faster than he can paint it. A salesman finds a way to trip up a narcissistic race car driver who seems to be able to get away with anything. As her characters negotiate the conflict between tradition and a rapidly changing city, Jane Turner Rylands draws us deep into a society all but unknown to outsiders. “A welcome spin on such a famous and well-documented setting....Wonderful.... Rylands's crisscrossing of narratives, characters and references is dense enough to give her book the feel of a loosely jointed novel.” —The New York Times Book Review“A witty and gratifying literary tour.... Rylands creates characters as memorable as the sights of Venice itself.” —MoreRylands’s stories are like a teaspoon of grated Parmesan washed down a swallow of hearty red wine. They’re a discreet indulgence.”—Salon