Nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2015

The setting may be geographically distinct, but as with all great works, the characters and their predicaments have universal appeal. Ferrante shows an evolving relationship between Elena and Lila in this second book and portrays poverty, anger, frustration, and the dreams and yearnings of two young women who have few opportunities to escape their current situations. In her tightly woven command of plot and language, Ferrante is brilliant, and she continues to prove herself to be a modern master.
Continuing the story from My Brilliant Friend, of Elena and Lila and their youth and early womanhood in 1960s Naples, Italy, Ferrante depicts the inner lives of her characters with intimacy and power.