Poetic, vibrant, full of energy and humor. This novel is great literature. Jhumpa Lahiri tells the story of Vanda and Aldo, who look back on a long shared life, even though they were not always happy. Like many couples, their relationship eventually suffocated in routines. When Aldo meets the younger Lidia, it seems the marriage is irreparably broken. However, the new love cannot sever the bonds that the children have created, and Aldo returns home. Meanwhile, decades have passed since the break, and the wounds of past injuries seem to have healed—until that day when the old scar suddenly reopens painfully. What is important in life? What truly holds couples together, even when love has long faded? An unflinchingly honest and profoundly touching novel about what a marriage demands from us.