The Florentine Entanglement: A Novel of the Cold War
For Eleanor Bentley, her fortieth birthday in 1960 marked a fundamental change in her life. The past years had been what many young women in the upper crust might desire—a good-looking husband who was a rising star in Washington government circles, a home near some of the most exclusive galleries in the art world that she loved, and a small but sincere circle of adoring friends. Who could want more?
Of course, those benefits had their drawbacks, as well. Her handsome husband, Talbot, drew his share of female admirers more than willing to give the poor man the attention he obviously wasn’t getting at home. And his career—climbing the ladder in the CIA had considerably more potential dangers than a position at the Department of Labor. Friends are friends, but some in Eleanor’s circle revealed that they weren’t quite the people everyone thought.
Eleanor Bentley proves to be a more complicated character than appears at first glance, and she holds her own with the other high-powered actors in this story. Author Pamela Norsworthy presents a tale that is essentially chronological but dips into extended flashbacks a number of times. While jumping into the past can interrupt a narrative, in this novel it is necessary for bringing the plot to full development, and the author handles the technique skillfully. The Florentine Entanglement will draw in readers through the plot and hold them through the characters.
