The Story Of The Lost Child

I got hungry reading this Neopolitan book.  The description of the tomatoes, the olive oil, the pasta and the red wine served in the family homes in Naples were so vivid I could almost taste them.  I wanted to be at those tables slicing the bread and gathering the dishes to wash.  I listened to this book on CD and I loved the way the names were pronounced.  Eleanora, for example, was El-lee-ah-nor-ah.  So beautiful.  What I didn't like was that the beginning of every single disc the title of the book was read and it kept reminding me that one of the children in this story would be lost.  Which one?  Day-day?  Elsa? Oh, I hope it's not them.  There are only four children in the story so it has to be one of them.  The book is split into three segments and it isn't until the beginning of the final segment that I learned who was lost.  The story focuses on the ever evolving friendship of two strong women - Lila and Lenu. There are men in the story, lots of strong, virile, Italian men but they mere moons compared to the planetary status of Lila and Lenu.  One of the women is educated, strong, and famous.  The other is uneducated, strong, and also famous.  How important is fame when living on the street on which your were born in Naples?  Fame can be fleeting and fragile.  The bond between these two woman is strong.  One might die for the other while also wanting to murder her at the same time.  The women are the glue that holds their families together.  I loved The Story of the Lost Child by Eleana Ferrante.  And now I learn that this is the fourth book in a series.  Lucky me! I got 3 great books ahead of me to grab onto.