The Lost Diary of Venice

April 20, 2020
DeRoux’s scintillating debut draws inspiration from a 16th-century work of art criticism by the Milanese painter Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo. Connecticut bookstore owner Rose Newlin is instantly attracted to the handsome William Lomazzo, who brings an old book he found in a dead relative’s trunk to Rose’s shop. Rose’s interest in the book—which was written by Gio Lomazzo, William’s ancestor—is piqued because the vellum pages turn out to hold traces of earlier writing beneath the main text. Rose’s restoration work on the underlayer of writing draws her imagination to 1571 Venice, where Gio’s book was published. DeRoux alternates between the present-day possibilities of William and Rose’s budding romance and Gio’s life in Venice, focusing on Gio’s passion for a courtesan, a narrative that emerges as Rose deciphers the book’s faded original text, which proves to be Gio’s diary. DeRoux brilliantly evokes the 16th-century Venetian art world and pays tribute to Gio’s early effort at art criticism, illustrating how “writing about art can be an art form.” This will satisfy bibliophiles and Renaissance art lovers alike. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners.