The Lost Daughter

novel by Ferrante

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July 22, 2026

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The Lost Daughter is a 2006 novel by the pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante. The story is told from the perspective of Leda, a divorced professor on a seaside holiday. Her vacation is interrupted by an intrusive family, and through her interactions with a young mother and her daughter from that family, Leda is reminded of the painful reasons she left her own husband and children years prior. The novel was adapted into a feature film in 2021. Ferrante is known for exploring the complexities of contemporary women, including ambivalence toward motherhood.1

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Elena Ferrante
Early work
…novel, La figlia oscura (2006; The Lost Daughter), is told from the perspective of Leda, a divorced professor. Her seaside holiday is disrupted by the arrival of an overbearing and menacing family. After befriending two of the family’s quieter members, a young mother and her daughter, Leda is reminded of…
Read More
…novel, La figlia oscura (2006; The Lost Daughter), is told from the perspective of Leda, a divorced professor. Her seaside holiday is disrupted by the arrival of an overbearing and menacing family. After befriending two of the family’s quieter members, a young mother and her daughter, Leda is reminded of…
Read More