Leda

A 47-year-old divorced woman, mother of two grown daughters, and the novel's narrator and central consciousness, Leda decides to take a summer vacation at the shore, away from Florence, where she is a university professor. While spending her days on the beach near her rented apartment, Leda becomes interested in a Neapolitan family that sits near her. Leda is especially focused on a young mother, Nina, and her small daughter, Elena, who are part of this group. Watching Nina and Elena sends Leda into reveries about her past with her own daughters, whom she left with her husband for three years when they were young so that she could have freedom to pursue her career. As she becomes involved with Nina and her family, Leda explores her past with her own daughters and her mother.

When Leda first arrives at her vacation apartment, her now-grown daughters have recently...