Catherine Dunne’s New Book: Come Cade La Luce

Come Cade la Luce Official Photo

Catherine Dunne’s New Book: 

Among the numerous events, which I am very lucky to get invited to, as a travel blogger in Venice, there is often the opportunity to attend to interesting book presentations, where I usually get to meet and have a little chat with the authors.

This time I had the great honor to meet Catherine Dunne, one of the most famous Irish authors, who managed to captivate millions of readers all over the world.

Catherine Dunne Official Photo

Come Cade La Luce

On 5th February 2018, Catherine Dunne presented her new book “Come cade la luce – The way the light falls” in the beautiful location of the Sina Centurion Palace in Venice.  The event was organized by M: Comunicazione Micaela Scapin.

The novel, just released in Italian, was translated by Ada Arduini for Guanda, the Italian famous publisher, before the original language.

The Sunday Tribune wrote about the writer: « Catherine Dunne writes about ordinary people, but in her novels their life is extraordinary ».

The journalist and writer Federica Sgaggio was there to introduce Catherine Dunne and to translate the interview.

The Book Presentation

As I arrived, the waiting room was packed, since Mrs. Dunne has a very large following in Italy.

Catherine Dunne’s New Book Presentation

I managed to get a front row seat, next to my dear and talented poet friend Anna Toscano and settled down to listen to one of my favorite authors.

After a beautiful introduction by Federica Squaggio, Catherine talked about her new book, not going too much into details to avoid spoilers, but explaining the main events which then allowed her to develop the story in the book: an incident in a family which is raising a disabled child.  The terrible incident sparks a series of events, which are then the story of the book.

As often in her novels, the main characters are women.

So, once it was time for the audience to pour over questions, I was quick in asking mine!

“ Women, strong women are always pretty much the main characters in your novels.  Who were the women who most influenced your life and your writing?”

Catherine replied that the main figures where her mother and sisters, which she described as three forces of nature! Family in general was always her inspiration, in her word: “Everything comes from the family and within the family: jealousy, love, anger, betrayal, care. Every family is dysfunctional, each in its own way. But the family always remains a strong, visceral and continuous connection in everyone’s life”

Catherine Dunne and myself ph. by Anna Toscano

When someone asked about the current situation, when women are reporting more and more mental and physical abuse and if this is reflected in her books, Catherine replied: “Abuse is present since the Greek myths and the Greek myths have often inspired me. I explore these themes in my books, I analyze how the characters react and interact, to manipulation, for example. But I do not take a position, mine is not a militant civil literature. Even in Come cade la luce, there is the theme of control, of manipulation that becomes an abuse of power. I re-elaborated the myth of Fedra in a modern way.”

I really enjoy Catherine Dunne books. Catherine digs into the soul and arouses strong emotions. How does she do it? Simple, she is true and says what she thinks.

Helping the others

Catherine Dunne decided also to present her book in Venice to raise awareness and promote an event of solidarity: the organizers and the author, in fact, support the Associazione Veronese Amici di Angal, a non-profit organization that finances the St. Luke hospital in Uganda and helps the Alùr people live in the north-west of the African country, a few kilometers from the Congo and from South-Sudan. The founders of Amici di Angal have been working in the Comboni mission for fifty years.

As I explained before, the book presentation took place at the Sina Centurion and this was what Paolo Morra, General Manager, had to say: «We are pleased to host Catherine Dunne and the presentation of her new book. Tourism, art, culture and literature are subjects and disciplines that go perfectly together: each of them is enriching the other. SINA Hotels has always supported the beauty of art expressed in all its forms. This is why we expose the works of Helidon Xhixha and Richard Orlinski. Our hotel, with a contemporary design, is open to meetings that encourage growth, knowledge and exchange “.

Catherine Dunne and myself ph. by Anna Toscano