There is more than an air of mystery surrounding the true identity of Elena Ferrante, who has used this pen name on her novels to date, never revealing the true person behind the writing.
What we do know, however, is that ‘Elena’ is Italian and certain things she has written to journalists appear to signify that she is most probably female and perhaps even a mother. Elena is an important novelist of the Italian generation and last year she even featured on the prestigious New York Times, top 10 Best Books of 2015 for The Story of the Lost Child, which is quite an accolade for any author. The Story of the Lost Child was also a nominee for the Strega Prize, which is an Italian literary award.
Books in order of publication:
Neapolitan Books
| My Brilliant Friend | (2011) | |
| The Story of a New Name | (2012) | |
| Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay | (2013) | |
| The Story of the Lost Child | (2014) |
Standalone Novels
| The Days of Abandonment | (2002) | |
| Troubling Love | (2006) | |
| The Lost Daughter | (2006) | |
| The Lying Life of Adults | (2019) |
Picture Books
| The Beach at Night | 2007 |
Non-Fiction Books
| Frantumaglia | (2003) | |||
| Incidental Inventions | (2019) |
Oak Lawn Library Friends 