The Lost Daughter

Compelling, immediate and very different from other stories. Translation from Italian helps to keep the action close to the page with very little unnecessary detail and description. The centeral character in this book, and the two others Days of Abandonment and Troubling Love, are women who you can relate to, but they are terrifying as well. You are scared you might become them but you're also sympathetic to the great horrors that befall them. This could be me, you think, but would I do what she's doing? You sometimes want to reach into the pages and stop the main character from doing what she's planning. Ferrante is letting her characters, who must be her on some level, go into places that we shouldn't go, but sometimes secretly want to. These books scare me and thrill me at the same time, and feel as if they are unleashing the part of me that wants to write about my secret desires, feelings and opinions — the most damaging of all. Remarkable, set in beautiful locations but not for anyone looking for travelogue romance. Stays with you a long time, and perhaps, changes you to some degree. All writers should read and study her style. Excellent plot progression with expertly developed back stories that help you understand the context of the present moment.

Leda is a 47 year-old divorced woman, and mother to daughters, Bianca and Marta, now 22 and 24. The girls have recently moved from Italy to Toronto, Canada to live with their father. Leda is well educated and teaches at the university in Florence, Italy. Leda was not upset when her daughters moved away, in fact it was quite the opposite: "When my daughters moved to Toronto, where their father had lived and worked for years, I was embarrassed and amazed to discover that I wasn't upset; rather, I felt light, as if only then had I definitively brought them into the world. For the first time in almost twenty-five years I was not aware of the anxiety of having to take care of them. The house was neat, as if no one lived there, I no longer had the constant bother of shopping and doing the laundry, the woman who for years had helped with the household chores found a better paying job, and I felt no need to replace her." It's summer and since she is feeling happy about her new freedom, Leda decides to rent a beach house for six weeks, on the Ionian coast, near Naples. She packs her books and lesson plans for the coming school year and is planning to relax by lounging on the beach by day. Early on she becomes fascinated by the interactions of an attractive young mother named Nina, and her young daughter, Elena. She also intently watches little Elena's interactions with her doll, which the girl calls by several different names. Several other family members visit the family on the beach as well. One day Leda notices the child by the waters edge, so she returns her to her mother who was lying on the beach blanket and hadn't noticed the child had wandered to the water. Another day when the family leaves the beach for the day, Leda notices that Elena's beloved doll was left buried in the sand. This incident upsets Leda, and suddenly this event, along with the interactions of mother and child, opens a floodgate of memories for Leda of her own days as a young mother. Some of the incidents which she recalls of things she did, and ways she reacted to her own daughters --were cringe-worthy. This brief novella, just 124 pages, is sure to evoke emotions among readers, especially mothers. Narrated in the first person, this deep journey into a mother's psyche, gives the reader plenty to think about. Marriage, motherhood, personal freedom, sacrifice and career fulfillment are some of the conflicting issues that surface in this work. Initially, I thought I might have a problem with the flow of the story due to the translation, but that was not the case. Once I got into the rhythm and into what was going on in Leda's head, I was hooked. I liked this one a lot, and would definitely recommend it.

I read this book specifically because I was intrigued at the idea of a story about a mother who sort of lacked the expected bond with her children. I went in with an open mind wanting o understand her more. Maybe it’s me but I don’t understand what the author wants the reader to take away from the story. This protagonist was generally unlikable and the main conflict of the story actually had nothing to do with her family itself. She did something really selfish and pointless. The end left a lot to be desired. Overall an interesting read, but don’t expect to walk away with anything.

Despues de leer la saga, es dificil de superarla pero este libro describe a la perfeccion los pensamientos y sentimientos de una madre y sus hijos.

I think she was telling the dark secrets of most mothers

Sicherlich nicht für jeden aber für mich eine großartige Erzählung und tief bewegend. Heute Abend werde ich den Film auf Netflix anschauen.

É sobre umas férias da protagonista que reflete sobre sua vida ao observar uma família em férias também.

Gotta admit, I really liked reading it. It's the English translation of an Italian novel by Elena Ferrante. The writing is gorgeous, quite straightforward, something different from my usual reads. Explores a mother's viewpoint and delves into the mother daughter dynamic issues. All in all, I'd totally suggest this book to anyone! Just 140 pages, can breeze through it in a day.