Leda is a middle-aged, divorced mother devoted to her work as an English professor. After the departure of her grown-up daughters, she takes a holiday on the Italian coast. But after a few days things become unsettling; on the beach she encounters a family whose brash behaviour proves menacing. Leda is overwhelmed by memories of the difficult and unconventional choices she made as a mother and their consequences for herself and her family. The tale of a woman's rediscovery of herself soon becomes the story of a ferocious confrontation with the past. The Lost Daughter is a profound exploration of the conflicting emotions that tie women to their children. Elena Ferrante was born in Naples. She is the author of seven novels: The Days of Abandonment, Troubling Love, The Lost Daughter, and the quartet of Neapolitan Novels: My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child. Fragments, a selection of interviews, letters and occasional writings by Ferrante, will be published in early 2016. She is one of Italy's most acclaimed authors. Ann Goldstein has translated all of Elena Ferrante's work. She is an editor at the New Yorker and a recipient of the PEN Renato Poggioli Translation Award. 'Ferrante's gift for psychological horror renders it immediate and visceral.' New Yorker 'This superb and scary Italian writer...has blown the lid off tempestuous parent-child relations.' Seattle Times 'So refined, almost translucent, that it seems about to float away, in the end this piercing novel is not so easily dislodged from the memory.' Boston Globe 'It's Leda's voice that's hypnotic, and it's the writing that makes it that way. Ferrante can do a woman's interior dialogue like no one else, with a ferocity that is shockingly honest, unnervingly blunt.' Booklist 'Ferrante's prose is stunningly candid, direct and unforgettable. From simple elements, she builds a powerful tale of hope and regret.' Publishers Weekly ‘Ferrante’s uncompromising directness and her unflinching gaze cannot be faulted.’ Age/Sydney Morning Herald ‘With cold determination, Ferrante conveys both the selfishness and the courage that comes with admitting your own maternal shortcomings.’ New Zealand Listener

“I always hoped [Mary Williams] would tell her incredible story. She's a writer of uncommon clarity and humor, and the arrival of her memoir is cause for celebration." —Dave Eggers, author of What is the What As she grew up in 1970s Oakland, California, role models for Mary Williams were few and far between: her father was often in prison, her older sister was a teenage prostitute, and her hot-tempered mother struggled to raise six children alone. For all Mary knew, she was heading down a similar path. But her life changed when she met Jane Fonda at summer camp in 1978. Fonda grew attached to the bright girl and eventually invited her to become part of her family, becoming the mother Mary never had. Mary’s life since has been one of adventure and opportunity—from hiking the Appalachian Trail solo, working with the Lost Boys of Sudan, and living in the frozen reaches of Antarctica. Her most courageous trip, though, involved returning to Oakland and reconnecting with her biological mother and family, many of whom she hadn’t seen since the day she left home. The Lost Daughter is a chronicle of her journey back in time, an exploration of fractured family bonds, and a moving epic of self-discovery.

From Lucretia Grindle, author of Villa Triste, comes a novel of lives lost and found, as intricate and mysterious as the Italian streets where the story's secrets begin. When American student Kristin Carson enrolls in a study abroad program in Florence, she's sure it will be the best year of her life, a chance to explore art, poetry, and romance in the arms of her new Italian boyfriend. But days before her parents arrive in Florence to celebrate her eighteenth birthday, Kristin disappears. Senior Detective Alessandro Pallioti and his young protégé Enzo Saenz are called to investigate. At first they believe she's simply run off for a romantic weekend and forgotten to tell her parents. But when Kristin's step-mother, Anna, also goes missing, Pallioti and Saenz suspect something much more sinister has happened. As they deepen their investigation they discover that Anna Carson is not who she appears to be, and Kristin's new boyfriend isn't just another local Lothario, but one of the most infamous—and dangerous—men in Italy. To find Kristin, Pallioti and Saenz must first find Anna and uncover the secrets she's kept buried for a lifetime. To do so, they must wade through the past, revisiting times and places most Italians would rather forget, and walk in the footsteps of the dead.

As a five-year-old in 1950s Greece, Sousanna plays at being The American. When a stranger deceives her illiterate parents, she is sold to a new family and discovers that being an American is not a life of luxury. As her family searches for Sousanna, she must endure alone in a strange place-unaware of changes that mean home will never be the same.

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting for an engaging read aloud experience! Henrietta Achilles is making her last stand. As mysterious stone warriors invade Henrietta's inherited home, she'll use the last traces of the house's magic to protect the friends around her. But even if she survives the battle, nothing can prepare her for the shocking returns of two figures from her past . . .

A “beautifully written” dark fable from a doll’s point of view—by the New York Times–bestselling author of The Lost Daughter and the Neapolitan Novels (The Washington Post). One of NPR’s Best Books of the Year. Readers of Elena Ferrante’s The Lost Daughter may recall the little doll—lost or stolen—around which that novel revolves. Here, Ferrante retells the tale from the doll’s perspective. Celina is having a terrible night, one full of jealousy for the new kitten, Minù; feelings of abandonment and sadness; misadventures at the hands of the beach attendant; and dark dreams. But she will be happily found by Mati, her child, once the sun rises . . . “Everyone should read anything with Ferrante’s name on it.” —The Boston Globe