I have recently discovered Donna Leon's books. I posted about one previously, about Paola's observations on students - which were spot on - but I recently read two more books which focused on fascinating topics. I think she does what I do: search the news for something interesting to write about.
Anyway, in Blood from a Stone, the topic is conflict diamonds. Because of the date, and the mention of CNN, I'm assuming she saw the documentary Cry of Freetown, because no one else has really bothered to talk about the situation, at least until Leonardo DiCaprio took a starring role in a movie about conflict diamonds.
The second one I read recently was Through a Glass, Darkly, about environmental degradation caused by chemical plants. One of the secondary characters, Inspettore Vianello, observed that even if we changed our habits immediately, we had probably damaged most things beyond repair. Such a cheerful outlook... I personally don't think that - the planet has shown a remarkable capacity for survival. But that doesn't mean that there won't be plenty of scrapes and bruises (euphemism for destroyed climates, extinct species and thousands, if not millions of displaced or dead humans) along the way. Let's hope Vianello's wrong.
But if you're ever bored in an airport, or just want something good to read, Donna Leon = good.
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“Authentic treachery is found when we abandon ourselves, becoming deaf to the whispers of our spirits and blind to the powerful potential therein." -Joaquin Mariel Espinosa
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