Father Maurice Lamoreaux is a man of undisputed faith as well as a teacher in the classroom and a follower of the rules. But all three are shaken after his newly graduated student, Cam, shares a secret with him. With trust in hand, Cam's father invites Maurice to accompany them through a tour of Rome, Florence, and Venice since his wife left them with an extra ticket. Maurice claims that his accompaniment is only to support Cam during this period in his life. But Maurice finds the trip becoming more and more about his own life.

While the three sister cities of Italy watch over him, Maurice meets and befriends others in the tour group, including the photographer, Isabelle, who works on pulling him out of the shell he has worked so hard to build around himself. As the journey progresses, as emotions shift, as lives are touched, Maurice realizes that God is not yet finished with him, and there are more mysteries to encounter. Deer in the Fields of Venice invites the reader to tour the parts of Italy that are not seen but lived. It is a story not only about love between persons, but it is a tale of love and thanksgiving for a historical country reminiscent of what the monsignor tells Maurice, "That is why our Lord chose Italy for the center of our faith. Anywhere else, and we would die off from boredom."