Book Spotlight of The Gondola Maker by Laura Morelli

May 19, 2014

In 16th-century Venice, the heir to a family boatyard rejects his destiny but is drawn to restore an old gondola with the dream of taking a girl for a ride.

Venice, 1581
Luca Vianello is the heir to the city’s most esteemed gondola-making family. But when an accidental tragedy strikes the boatyard, Luca believes his true calling lies elsewhere. Readers will appreciate the authentic details of gondola craftsmanship along with a captivating tale of artisanal tradition and family bonds set in one of the world’s most magnificent settings: Renaissance Venice.

Morelli creates poignantly convincing characters in this handsome coming-of-age novel about adoration, pain, and destiny.
--Publisher’s Weekly starred review

Historical fiction at its best.
--Midwest Book Review

Laura Morelli holds a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University and is the author of Made in Italy.

Author's Bio:

Laura Morelli earned a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University, where she was a Bass Writing Fellow and an Andrew W. Mellon Doctoral Fellow. She has taught college art history in the U.S. and at Trinity College in Rome. She is the creator of the authentic guidebook series that includes Made in Italy, Made in France, and Made in the Southwest, published by Rizzoli. Laura is a frequent contributor to National Geographic Traveler and other national magazines and newspapers. A native of coastal Georgia, she is married and is busy raising four children. The Gondola Maker is her first work of fiction.

Website: www.lauramorelli.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauramorelliphd

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lauramorelliphd

about.me/lauramorelliphd

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65QNfn8zEOk