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Pink writes “the science confirms what we already know in our hearts.” But this isn’t quite right. The science agrees with what we know in our hearts. The conclusions in this book are overblown and unfounded, the arguments offered are far from rigorous, and the prose is sometimes unnecessarily hyperbolic, but as a mediation on motivation it’s still worth a read.

“Childhood is a tissue of lies that endure in the past tense”

The things I look for most in a book are good writing and to expand my understanding of the human condition. Bonus points if I can escape to another place or time. This book gets perfect marks on all three counts.

In addition to her usual themes around inner turmoil and life in the matrix of male violence in mid-century Naples, Ferrante explores issues of identity and the personal narrative we weave for ourselves as they conflict with—and are dependent on—our unreliable memories. Troubling Love reads like a mystery novel, but the protagonist, Delia, understands her mother’s death, and life, gradually and accidentally, aided only by prompts to her recollection from people and places she encounters as she explores the past.