An Italian Party in Costa Rica

Here we are in the glorious Costa Rican countryside where a feisty rooster gave me a 6 am wake-up call this morning, so why am I writing about a book set in Italy? It seems, according to Good Reads, that there's very little fiction set in Costa Rica that isn't hot Latina romance. Nothing wrong with that but...not what I was looking for. So I went to my Kindle, where I've downloaded tons of new books from gracious publishers, and hit on "The Italian Party," which will be out next week.

Author Christina Lynch has lived and worked in Milan and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon, but it's the four years she spent in Tuscany that she draws on for her debut novel. It's set in one of my favorite cities, Siena, in 1956, and the jaunty book cover belies the sensitive subject matter of this lovely novel that examines all forms of love, betrayal and forgiveness. 

Scottie and Michael, newlyweds who know absolutely nothing about each other - remember it's the fifties and Scottie's only goal at Vassar was to gather up that Mrs degree.  -  set up house in a glorious apartment overlooking the main campo. Scottie's only duty is to stay safely indoors, learn to cook, and smile brightly when Michael comes through the door in the evening.

Thankfully, that doesn't even last a day! Michael, you see, is CIA and is in Italy to fight communism for the good old USA while maintaining the pretense of selling modern farm equipment to local farmers for Ford. Left to her own devices, Scottie explores her surroundings, falling in love with the language, the people, and the food, or as the government fears from its agents and their families, going native. I love her for it! She's smart, savvy, and could be Michael's greatest asset if he'd just open up to her.

But Michael has more fundamental secrets that he's harboring and Scottie has a big one of her own. With Michael frequently off to Rome for meetings with Ambassador Claire Booth Luce and his CIA handler Duncan, an old friend from Yale, Scottie involves herself in the lives and mysteries of the locals, falling hard for her landlord and investigating the sudden disappearance of Robertino, her tutor and friend. 

With the upcoming Palio, the famous Siena horse race, as a colorful back drop and the cold war tensions between Russia, Italy, and the United States to add real life intensity, Lynch not only takes us into the hearts of the Sienese people but she illustrates how how easy it is for our government to manipulate foreign elections with well-placed "fake news" pieces. Very timely!

She sensitively examines the complications of marriages, new ones and old ones, the damage that lies and half truths can inflict on relationships, and the ability to accept and forgive those we care about. This is a lovely first novel that will make you want to run right out and book your flight to Italy!