Publication Date: July 2, 2024
Lessons in Chemistry meets Mad Men in this wildly entertaining debut novel, set in glamorous Rome in the late 1960s, which follows the free-spirited wife of an American diplomat as she desperately tries to contain a scandal of her own making.
It is the summer of 1969 and Rome is awash with glamour and intrigue: the stars of Cinecittà are drinking and dancing along the paparazzo-lined Via Veneto, where royalty, American expats, and the occasional Russian spy rub shoulders.
Teddy Huntley Carlyle has just arrived in Italy from Dallas, Texas, eager for a fresh start with her new husband, a diplomat assigned to the American embassy. After years of “spoiling like old milk,” in the words of her controlling, politically-minded uncle, Teddy vows to turn over a new leaf. She will be the soul of discretion; she will be conservative, proper, and polite. She will be her most beautiful, luminous self, wearing the right clothes and the perfect lipstick, and she will be good. She will charm her husband’s colleagues at the embassy, and no one will have a word to say against her.
Teddy keeps her promise, more or less—until the Fourth of July, when her new life explodes as spectacularly as the colorful fireworks lighting the Roman sky over the embassy grounds. Now, Teddy is in the middle of a mess that even her powerful connections and impeccable manners can’t contain . . .
At age 34, socialite Teddy Huntley Carlyle knows it is well past time for marriage. Groomed by her politically connected family, she lands an American diplomat assigned to Italy.
Set in 1969 with a backdrop full of political intrigue, Teddy’s dreams of a happily ever after soon are overshadowed by scandal and secrets. This serves as a compelling story in Teddy by Emily Dunlay.
The prologue hints at some horrific event that has taken place before providing background information about Teddy and her first encounter with David. As the story continues, the author continues the time shift leading up to July 9, 1969. This approach serves as a good way to keep readers invested.
As the daughter of a politically connected family, Teddy stands out as someone who knows all the right things to do and say but struggles with the execution. She’s a troubled woman who desperately yearns to fit in, but her choices lead to unintended consequences.
Teddy serves as a cautionary tale about a woman caught up in a scandal of epic proportions but ultimately manages to chart her own path.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Emily Dunlay studied English literature and creative writing at Princeton University, after which she trained and worked as a specialist librarian for antiquarian books. She currently lives in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Teddy is her first book.
