The New Williamsburg Book Club

On Saturday, September 20, 2025 we'll gather at 7 p.m. to discuss the first in the Neapolitan series of novels, "My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferrante.

According to the description on Amazon.com: "Named the #1 Book of the 21st Century by the New York Times: The "enduring classic" about the lifelong friendship of two women from Naples (The Atlantic). Beginning in the 1950's, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Elena Ferrante's four-volume story spans almost 60 years, as its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex (and at times conflicted) friendship. This first novel in the series follows Lila and Elena from their fateful meeting as 10-year-olds through their school years and adolescence.
Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between two women. "An intoxicatingly-furious portrait of enmeshed friends." —Entertainment Weekly "Spectacular." —Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air

We hope you'll enjoy reading the first in this series, and come discuss it with some friends and neighbors! Lisa