To chase away the boredom she has suffered since the death of her husband, a middle-aged woman decides to leave the country house where she has lived for years and move to the city. Tawdry, bossy and extremely picky, especially when it comes to her daughters, she befriends the enigmatic Scilla, and soon the two women plan to open an art gallery together. However, the apparent security of the protagonist, which borders on arrogance, does not free her from certain disappointments... One of Ginzburg's most celebrated works, full of humor, insight and the inalienable moral realism that generations of writers have so applauded. readers.