The series ends in the present day with the arrival of a package for Elena: the two dolls, Tina and Nu, that the girls lost in the cellar in the first chapter of the first book. It is a haunting, ambiguous gift that suggests Lila—even in her disappearance—is still the one controlling the narrative.
Elena realizes that despite her education and literary success, she cannot fully escape the violence and "vulgarity" of her origins. The Story of the Lost Child [Neapolitan Novels #4]
Moves from the heights of literary fame to a quiet, somewhat lonely elderhood. Her betrayal by Nino is the final catalyst for her realizing that her intellectual life was built on a desire to impress men who were ultimately unworthy. The series ends in the present day with