Read this when
The Days of Abandonment
'One April afternoon, right after lunch, my husband announced that he wanted to leave me.' 🔥 If your breakup made you feel unhinged, Ferrante will make you feel less alone.
Who it's for
Ferrante writes Olga's collapse after her husband leaves with a force few novels allow: jealousy, sexual humiliation, rage, obsessive thoughts, crude language and the terror of neglecting her children.
Feelings it meets
What it is
The Days of Abandonment is a 2002 novel by Elena Ferrante, translated into English by Ann Goldstein in 2005. Set in Turin, it follows Olga, a stay-at-home mother whose husband Mario abruptly leaves her after fifteen years of marriage for a younger woman. Alone with their two children and the family dog, Olga goes through an emotional breakdown and examines what went wrong in her marriage.
Where to find it
In print (Europa Editions); widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain.
Before you start
Heads up: Self-destructive thoughts; a dog's death.
Age: Adult (18+)
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, “On Joy and Sorrow”
