The Italian Party by Christina Lynch

 

Hardcover: 336 pages

• Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (27 Mar. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1250147832
• ISBN-13: 978-1250147837

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

Newly married, Scottie and Michael are seduced by Tuscany’s famous beauty. But the secrets they are keeping from each other force them beneath the splendid surface to a more complex view of ltaly, America and each other.

When Scottie’s Italian teacher–a teenager with secrets of his own–disappears, 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.

Half glamorous fun, half an examination of America’s role in the world, and filled with sun-dappled pasta lunches, prosecco, charming spies and horse racing, The Italian Party is a smart pleasure.

 

Review

The Italian Party tells the story of newly married Scottie and Michael as they start their new life together in post war Siena.  What neither realise is that the other has secrets, and hasn’t been honest about the marriage, their lives or, in Michael’s case, the reason for being in Italy.  The narrative is told from both Scottie and Michael’s perspective, making the reader their confidant and voyeur ; we are the only ones to see the whole picture.

1956 Siena and its population is the polar opposite to the glamour we associate with 1950’s America.  America saw their culture and politics as an example to follow, the case of living the dream and wanted to set an example to the rest of Europe; improved roads, mechanical advances in industrial machinery and cars, employment opportunity. the advent of fast food and most of all consumerism.    This book certainly gives us food for thought in that the gulf of difference and lack of progression in Italy may not be a bad thing, maybe the American’s didn’t have it all right after all; their is a lot to be said for the more simple way of life, farming the land by hand and employing local people, making fresh food from what is in season and the importance of community: values we are coming back to .

Scottie and Michael are newly married, very naive and don’t know much about each other; marriage is an escape for them both from their lives before.  It’s not so much that they lie to each other, its more about omissions and lack of questions asked.  I loved Scottie as a character, her naivety of how the world operates, and her acceptation of life at face value make her even more likeable.  She is well educated, went to the best schools  had a privileged lifestyle that was destroyed when her accountant father died and she realised that he had been stealing money from clients.  Marriage is her way of maintaining respectability as she is pregnant by another man.  Scottie shows compassion and understanding to everyone she meets, whatever their status; from Gina the prostitute to Carlo, a member of the nobility.  She embraces Italian culture, it’s customs and people.  Michael tries to stay American, in food and lifestyle, he is working for the CIA and trying to install American values and products into Italy.  He is there to help sway the election against the Communist candidate for Mayor, and thus pave the way for American ideals and industry.  As well as being a spy his other secret is his sexuality; homosexuality was seen as crime so he needed the mask of a marriage.  What is endearing is how Scottie and Michael deal with these problems, support each other and ultimately work well as a team.  There is also a wonderful cast of supporting characters, the eccentric Nonna Bea, Signor Bianchi and his grandson Robertino who teaches Scottie Italian and helps Michael in his quest for information, Tentnte Pisano, the local police officer who is distrusting of Americans and Carlo, the marquis.

Christina Lynch delves into the history of Siena, it’s Palio horse race, the art and architecture, the love of food and tradition.  The descriptive writing really brings Italy and it’s populace to life.  The Italian Party really has it all, a beautiful setting, secrets, lies, spies, espionage, love, politics and plenty of glamour; a captivating and seductive read.