The Lying Life of Adults

Giovanna begins watching her mother closely. She imagines her mother engaging in scenarios from the very romance novels that Giovanna reads and that her mother edits. Instead of anger, however, Giovanna is jealous: She wants her mother’s affection all to herself. Moreover, she wants to tell someone about what she saw under the table but fears destroying her life by telling Aunt Vittoria. However, when Ida and Angela press her for a meeting with her aunt, Giovanna begs her parents until her father relents. Despite both sets of parents uneasy about the meeting, Giovanna and Aunt Vittoria plan a date and time.

When Aunt Vittoria picks the girls up, she greets Costanza by touching everything she’s wearing, including her jewelry. Costanza mentions that her bracelet is a prized possession. The entire time, Giovanna regrets arranging the meeting; her aunt is acting even ruder than usual, and Giovanna isn’t sure why. Later, the girls quarrel with Aunt Vittoria about the existence of God and hell, and Giovanna’s aunt responds by calling them stupid. But Giovanna and the girls are happy because Aunt Vittoria is taking them to a church thrift sale and

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