Summary

Elena reminds the reader that she is telling this story from years in the future, when she and Lila are in their 60s. The last time she saw Lila was five years before her disappearance, the genesis of the storytelling, which is detailed in the first novel of the series. In this recent memory, the women, now in their early 60s, are walking through the old neighborhood. Elena lives in Turin, while Lila lives in her family’s old apartment with her son, Rino. The women are walking through the neighborhood and come upon the dead body of Gigliola Solara, who has keeled over in the park. Elena experiences an odd sense of horror.

In Chapter 2, Elena takes the reader back to the short time after her book is published. She is living with her parents while dealing with her new position as...