The Italian Party

Description

The Italian Party is a sneaky book: half glamorous fun, half an examination of America's role in the world. Scottie and Michael, young newlyweds arriving in Siena in 1956, are seduced by Tuscany's famous beauty and the sensory experience of a summer in the ancient city. But their reasons for being there-and the secrets they are keeping from each other-force them beneath the beautiful surface to a more complex view of ltaly, America, and each other. When Scottie's Italian teacher, a teenager with secrets of his own, goes missing, her search for him leads her to discover other, darker truths about herself, her husband, and her country. Michael's dedication to saving the world from communism crumbles as he begins to see that he is a pawn in a much different game. Driven apart by lies, Michael and Scottie must find their way through a maze of history, memory, hate, and love to a new kind of complicated truth. Filled with sun-dappled pasta lunches, Prosecco, handsome locals, and horse racing, The Italian Party is a smart pleasure.

Christina Lynch's picaresque journey includes chapters at Harvard, where she was an editor on the Harvard Lampoon, and in Milan, where she was correspondent for W magazine and Women's Wear Daily, and disappeared for four years in Tuscany. In L.A. she was on the writing staff of Unhappily Ever After, Encore, The Dead Zone; and Wildfire. She now lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and teaches at College of the Sequoias. The Italian Party is her debut novel.

"This novel is dashing, fun, sexy and witty--a fun read on multiple levels." --Historical Novel Society Magazine "Set in Siena in 1956, this debut novel is a spy thriller, comedy of manners, and valentine to Italy, spiked with forbidden sex and political skulduggery...The ending is unexpected, with the author displaying a sophisticated, nuanced view of love and marriage that feels very modern. Or maybe it's just Italian." --Kirkus Reviews "[Lynch's] affection for and knowledge of the Italian people and way of living are evident: her food descriptions in particular are droolworthy. Readers will be rooting for Michael and Scottie through the story's many adventures and intrigue, while political and social commentary add an extra layer of depth." --Booklist "The story plays like a confectionary Hollywood romance with some deeper notes reminiscent of John le Carre and Henry James. Scottie is a resilient main character who might have been played by Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn in a 1950s movie adaptation of this entertainingly subversive take on that seemingly innocent period." --Publisher's Weekly "In her gracefully written debut, as effervescent as spumante, Lynch dramatizes the allure and power of secrets - in politics and in marriage - while depicting with sly humor the collision between the American do-gooder naivete and Italian culture. Italophiles and anyone interested in spying and the expat experience will love the spot-on social commentary." --Library Journal (Starred Review) "Christina Lynch has accomplished a rare American literary feat with this captivating novel whose keen political edge and historical resonance feel very timely. Her grasp of mid-century Cold War culture, of sexual identity, the world of personal secrecy and intimacy, trust and betrayal, naive patriotism and profound national identity, are swirled into a page-turner that is both a genuine romance and a thoughtful spy story." --Patricia Hampl, author of The Florist's Daughter "Tremendous fun! Wives with big secrets, husbands with bigger ones, swirling around a 1950s Siena teeming with seduction and spycraft." --Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Travelers and The Expats "Imagine Beautiful Ruins plus horses; Toujours Provence with spies, a mystery and sex. The Italian Party is a fizzy, page-turning delight that begs for a Campari and soda!" --Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Be Frank With Me "Christina Lynch's hapless American newly-weds give us plenty to worry about as they dig their way into the dark heart of Italy (1956) and into the even darker heart of the CIA. They give us plenty to laugh about, too, in this volatile mixture of old-world charm and cold-war politics." --Bob Hellenga, author of The Fall of a Sparrow "[Lynch's] affection for and knowledge of the Italian people and way of living are evident: her food descriptions in particular are droolworthy. Readers will be rooting for Michael and Scottie through the story's many adventures and intrigue, while political and social commentary add an extra layer of depth." --Booklist "The story plays like a confectionary Hollywood romance with some deeper notes reminiscent of John le Carre and Henry James. Scottie is a resilient main character who might have been played by Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn in a 1950s movie adaptation of this entertainingly subversive take on that seemingly innocent period." --Publisher's Weekly "In her gracefully written debut, as effervescent as spumante, Lynch dramatizes the allure and power of secrets - in politics and in marriage - while depicting with sly humor the collision between the American do-gooder naivete and Italian culture. Italophiles and anyone interested in spying and the expat experience will love the spot-on social commentary." --Library Journal (Starred Review) "Christina Lynch has accomplished a rare American literary feat with this captivating novel whose keen political edge and historical resonance feel very timely. Her grasp of mid-century Cold War culture, of sexual identity, the world of personal secrecy and intimacy, trust and betrayal, naive patriotism and profound national identity, are swirled into a page-turner that is both a genuine romance and a thoughtful spy story." --Patricia Hampl, author of The Florist's Daughter "Tremendous fun! Wives with big secrets, husbands with bigger ones, swirling around a 1950s Siena teeming with seduction and spycraft." --Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Travelers and The Expats "Imagine Beautiful Ruins plus horses; Toujours Provence with spies, a mystery and sex. The Italian Party is a fizzy, page-turning delight that begs for a Campari and soda!" --Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Be Frank With Me "Christina Lynch's hapless American newly-weds give us plenty to worry about as they dig their way into the dark heart of Italy (1956) and into the even darker heart of the CIA. They give us plenty to laugh about, too, in this volatile mixture of old-world charm and cold-war politics." --Bob Hellenga, author of The Fall of a Sparrow "Set in Siena in 1956, this debut novel is a spy thriller, comedy of manners, and valentine to Italy, spiked with forbidden sex and political skulduggery...The ending is unexpected, with the author displaying a sophisticated, nuanced view of love and marriage that feels very modern. Or maybe it's just Italian." --Kirkus Reviews "[Lynch's] affection for and knowledge of the Italian people and way of living are evident: her food descriptions in particular are droolworthy. Readers will be rooting for Michael and Scottie through the story's many adventures and intrigue, while political and social commentary add an extra layer of depth." --Booklist "The story plays like a confectionary Hollywood romance with some deeper notes reminiscent of John le Carre and Henry James. Scottie is a resilient main character who might have been played by Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn in a 1950s movie adaptation of this entertainingly subversive take on that seemingly innocent period." --Publisher's Weekly "In her gracefully written debut, as effervescent as spumante, Lynch dramatizes the allure and power of secrets - in politics and in marriage - while depicting with sly humor the collision between the American do-gooder naivete and Italian culture. Italophiles and anyone interested in spying and the expat experience will love the spot-on social commentary." --Library Journal (Starred Review) "Christina Lynch has accomplished a rare American literary feat with this captivating novel whose keen political edge and historical resonance feel very timely. Her grasp of mid-century Cold War culture, of sexual identity, the world of personal secrecy and intimacy, trust and betrayal, naive patriotism and profound national identity, are swirled into a page-turner that is both a genuine romance and a thoughtful spy story." --Patricia Hampl, author of The Florist's Daughter "Tremendous fun! Wives with big secrets, husbands with bigger ones, swirling around a 1950s Siena teeming with seduction and spycraft." --Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Travelers and The Expats "Imagine Beautiful Ruins plus horses; Toujours Provence with spies, a mystery and sex. The Italian Party is a fizzy, page-turning delight that begs for a Campari and soda!" --Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Be Frank With Me "Christina Lynch's hapless American newly-weds give us plenty to worry about as they dig their way into the dark heart of Italy (1956) and into the even darker heart of the CIA. They give us plenty to laugh about, too, in this volatile mixture of old-world charm and cold-war politics." --Bob Hellenga, author of The Fall of a Sparrow "The story plays like a confectionary Hollywood romance with some deeper notes reminiscent of John le Carre and Henry James. Scottie is a resilient main character who might have been played by Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn in a 1950s movie adaptation of this entertainingly subversive take on that seemingly innocent period." --Publisher's Weekly "In her gracefully written debut, as effervescent as spumante, Lynch dramatizes the allure and power of secrets - in politics and in marriage - while depicting with sly humor the collision between the American do-gooder naivete and Italian culture. Italophiles and anyone interested in spying and the expat experience will love the spot-on social commentary." --Library Journal (Starred Review) "Christina Lynch has accomplished a rare American literary feat with this captivating novel whose keen political edge and historical resonance feel very timely. Her grasp of mid-century Cold War culture, of sexual identity, the world of personal secrecy and intimacy, trust and betrayal, naive patriotism and profound national identity, are swirled into a page-turner that is both a genuine romance and a thoughtful spy story." --Patricia Hampl, author of The Florist's Daughter "Tremendous fun! Wives with big secrets, husbands with bigger ones, swirling around a 1950s Siena teeming with seduction and spycraft." --Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Travelers and The Expats "Imagine Beautiful Ruins plus horses; Toujours Provence with spies, a mystery and sex. The Italian Party is a fizzy, page-turning delight that begs for a Campari and soda!" --Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Be Frank With Me "Christina Lynch's hapless American newly-weds give us plenty to worry about as they dig their way into the dark heart of Italy (1956) and into the even darker heart of the CIA. They give us plenty to laugh about, too, in this volatile mixture of old-world charm and cold-war politics." --Bob Hellenga, author of The Fall of a Sparrow "In her gracefully written debut, as effervescent as spumante, Lynch dramatizes the allure and power of secrets - in politics and in marriage - while depicting with sly humor the collision between the American do-gooder naivete and Italian culture. Italophiles and anyone interested in spying and the expat experience will love the spot-on social commentary." --Library Journal (Starred Review) "Christina Lynch has accomplished a rare American literary feat with this captivating novel whose keen political edge and historical resonance feel very timely. Her grasp of mid-century Cold War culture, of sexual identity, the world of personal secrecy and intimacy, trust and betrayal, naive patriotism and profound national identity, are swirled into a page-turner that is both a genuine romance and a thoughtful spy story." --Patricia Hampl, author of The Florist's Daughter "Tremendous fun! Wives with big secrets, husbands with bigger ones, swirling around a 1950s Siena teeming with seduction and spycraft." --Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Travelers and The Expats "Imagine Beautiful Ruins plus horses; Toujours Provence with spies, a mystery and sex. The Italian Party is a fizzy, page-turning delight that begs for a Campari and soda!" --Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Be Frank With Me "Christina Lynch's hapless American newly-weds give us plenty to worry about as they dig their way into the dark heart of Italy (1956) and into the even darker heart of the CIA. They give us plenty to laugh about, too, in this volatile mixture of old-world charm and cold-war politics." --Bob Hellenga, author of The Fall of a Sparrow "Christina Lynch has accomplished a rare American literary feat with this captivating novel whose keen political edge and historical resonance feel very timely. Her grasp of mid-century Cold War culture, of sexual identity, the world of personal secrecy and intimacy, trust and betrayal, naive patriotism and profound national identity, are swirled into a page-turner that is both a genuine romance and a thoughtful spy story." --Patricia Hampl, author of The Florist's Daughter "Tremendous fun! Wives with big secrets, husbands with bigger ones, swirling around a 1950s Siena teeming with seduction and spycraft." --Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Travelers and The Expats "Imagine Beautiful Ruins plus horses; Toujours Provence with spies, a mystery and sex. The Italian Party is a fizzy, page-turning delight that begs for a Campari and soda!" --Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Be Frank With Me "Christina Lynch's hapless American newly-weds give us plenty to worry about as they dig their way into the dark heart of Italy (1956) and into the even darker heart of the CIA. They give us plenty to laugh about, too, in this volatile mixture of old-world charm and cold-war politics." --Bob Hellenga, author of The Fall of a Sparrow "Tremendous fun! Wives with big secrets, husbands with bigger ones, swirling around a 1950s Siena teeming with seduction and spycraft." --Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Travelers and The Expats "Imagine Beautiful Ruins plus horses; Toujours Provence with spies, a mystery and sex. The Italian Party is a fizzy, page-turning delight that begs for a Campari and soda!" --Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Be Frank With Me "Christina Lynch's hapless American newly-weds give us plenty to worry about as they dig their way into the dark heart of Italy (1956) and into the even darker heart of the CIA. They give us plenty to laugh about, too, in this volatile mixture of old-world charm and cold-war politics." --Bob Hellenga, author of The Fall of a Sparrow