L’amica geniale. Vol. 1

The novel begins by following the two young female protagonists – first as children, then as teenagers – behind the scenes in a squalid neighbourhood on the outskirts of Naples, amidst a host of minor characters whose journeys are traced with careful, unwavering attention. The author delves into the complex nature of friendship between two little girls, two teenage girls and two women, tracing their individual growth, the way they influence one another, and the good and bad feelings that, over the decades, nourish a genuine, enduring bond. She then recounts the effects of the changes sweeping through the neighbourhood, Naples and Italy over more than half a century, transforming the friends and their bond. And all this unfolds on the page with the rhythm of great popular narratives – dense yet fast-paced, profound yet light – constantly turning situations on their head, revealing the characters’ hidden depths, piling event upon event without respite, yet with the depth and power of voice to which the author has accustomed us. It is the sort of book that never really ends. Or, to put it better, in this debut novel the author brings the story of Lila and Elena’s childhood and adolescence to a complete conclusion, yet leaves us on the threshold of new, momentous changes that are about to upend their lives and their intensely close relationship.