Emma Andrews has quit London for Venice after a family quarrel at her beloved grandmother's funeral. Venice possesses her completely, to the exclusion of grief, tiredness and her family. She meets Toni, a Venetian hotel owner, whose life also is overshadowed by his family history. They both show a normal face to the world, but their backgrounds provoke erratic behaviour in their personal lives. They both look for light out of the darkness, like the saints kneeling before the sun in the lunette over the door of the church of San Giobbe. Other Venetians have their stories, including Maria whose...