A mysterious photograph leads fifty-year-old Ruth to Venice. She wants to find out who the man she lived with for more than thirty years really was. And what she discovers in Venice calls into question everything she has believed until now. She must come to terms with the fact that there was the man she knew well and the one who is a complete stranger to her. But it is precisely the existence of that other man that leads her to see herself in a new light. With newfound self-confidence, she takes control of her life and seizes the chance for a new kind of happiness.

*The Journey to Venice* is an extraordinary love story and an inspiring book for anyone facing a personal crisis. Together with the protagonist, Ruth, readers embark on a search for clues and, along the way, discover both the familiar and the unfamiliar sides of Venice, including the changes it has undergone over the past few decades.

Brigitta Dewald-Koch studied social work, education, and psychology, among other subjects, and works as a consultant for the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Family Affairs. As an author, she has published several novels and short stories, served for many years as chair of the Literaturwerk Rheinland-Pfalz Saar, and works as a creative writing instructor.

When: Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Mainz University Library, Reading Room, Rheinallee 3B, 55116 Mainz. 

Admission is free; donations are welcome. No registration required.