I figured after My Brilliant Friend chronicled Elena and Lila as children, I'd grow more emotionally connected to them as they left their childhood years behind and became young women. I was correct, and it was both interesting and heartbreaking to see them start to choose very different paths in life.

This is a dark, brutal story of women trapped in a patriarchal society, where husbands assaulting their wives on a daily basis is normalised. Many scenes were difficult to read through. A large chunk of the story is taken up by a holiday, which for Elena, became a defining moment in her life, and in their friendship.

I've read a little about what might happen in the next book, and I'm hoping to see a heavier focus on feminism as the decade becomes the 1970s. The final scenes of successful, intelligent Elena visiting Lina in a dark, violent situation has me worried for Lina's future, and I'm hoping she helps lift her out of it.