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 Italy, 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.