L’enfant perdue

As always, Lila took it upon herself to drive a needle into my heart, not to make it stop, but to make it beat faster.

Now a renowned writer, Elena has built a life far from the gritty Neapolitan streets of her childhood. Yet, the bond with her "brilliant friend" Lila remains an inescapable force. As the two women enter maturity, they return to where it all began, facing the ghosts of their past and the ultimate test of their friendship.

L’enfant perdue brings this epic sixty-year journey to a breathtaking close. Spanning from the 1950s to the present day, it is a visceral exploration of motherhood, loss, and the enduring power of a relationship that defined two lives.

Author: Elena Ferrante

Elena Ferrante is the pseudonym of an Italian writer. Her true identity is currently hidden by choice. Ferrante believes that a writer’s works speak for themselves and defends her decision, calling it "a testimony against the self-promotion obsessively imposed by the media. In 2024, My Brilliant Friend, the book that brought her worldwide recognition, was named novel of the century by the New York Times.