Lenuccia "Elena" Greco Airota

Elena narrates her fourth plot in The Story of the Lost Child, and although she ages more than 30 years in this novel, she still carries much of the immaturity that characterized her view of the events in the stories. As a narrator, she continues to view Lila through a critical lens, unable to give her friend any credit without fearing it takes something away from her. In this, she is an unreliable narrator. It is difficult for the reader to know how true are the events that Elena reports in these stories.

The main character's career flourishes in this last installment. She seems to find her stride in the difficulties and strife that life throws at her, in the form of an unsatisfying marriage and particularly a move back to her home city and her home neighborhood. As the story closes, she has more than...