In the aftermath of the earthquake that shook many of the structures of Italy’s southern cities loose, Lenù’s deliberately removed life from the neighborhood — a separation that hurt Lila’s feelings but proved essential to give Lenù a sense of stability –– falls into one of the foundational cracks. Worried about her mother, whose condition is worsening, and drawn in by the shared experience of pregnancy with Lila, Lenù finds herself once again entangled in the streets of her childhood.