Ferrante’s extraordinary quartet of novels exploring the intricate and often fiery friendship between two Neapolitan women—Elena and Lila—(which was made into an HBO series last year) simmers with the sort of emotional nuance few writers craft. Set in a tightly-knit Italian community post WWII, this miraculous coming-of-age saga set at a time when it was nearly impossible for a female to go against the grain, sears with intellect and insight. And there’s the enigma of who Elena Ferrante really is (Ferrante is a pseudonym)—no one really knows her true name or background. But one thing is certain: this writer knows what it is to be a woman driven by deep and at times diverging loyalties, torn between what’s expected, and what’s desired.