The Florentine Entanglement: A Novel of the Cold War

Eleanor, an art student, has been hiding in fascist Italy since 1939. At the end of the war, she meets Talbot, an intelligence officer drawn to her story, intellect, and beauty. They marry and move to Washington, DC, where Talbot joins the newly formed CIA. Eleanor struggles to adjust to the city's unfamiliar pace and culture after her time in Florence. As Talbot's career advances in the CIA, their marriage deteriorates. He pursues affairs with young secretaries working under him, attributing his infidelity to Eleanor's distant nature and lack of interest in him. When a U-2 spy plane mission he oversees fails over the Soviet Union, his misconduct becomes exposed, threatening both his career and freedom. As his life unravels, Eleanor faces a decision that may force her to disclose significant secrets of her own. This historical fiction novel interweaves the story of a failing marriage with the U-2 incident, a pivotal moment in Cold War history.