An enticing take on the Enlightenment set in 18th century Naples and the newly minted United States, as seen through the lens of two powerful historical figures: Eleonora Fonseca Pimentel, who imagined and fought for a Republic inspired by the French Revolution, and Joseph Correia de Serra, a diplomat and internationally recognized naturalist. Imprisoned in 1799 after the return of the Monarchy, and while awaiting her sentencing, Eleonora writes a memoir about Joseph, the adolescent lover who abandoned her. Joseph as an adult, accidentally finds Eleonora's manuscript in Thomas Jefferson's library while visiting Monticello.
