The disappearance of her old friend, Lila Cerrullo, causes 60-year-old author Elena Greco to reflect on the early days of their friendship in 1950s Naples, when Elena and Lila are two very different girls at the top of their class.

As fourth grade draws to an end, Elena and Lila fight with their families for the chance to continue their education; a trip out of town becomes a day Elena will never forget; a death changes things in the neighborhood forever.

Elena grapples with the onset of puberty, her studies and her friendship with Lila, who now works in her family's shoe-repair store; as the girls' encounters with the opposite sex become more frequent, Lila takes a stand against the Solara brothers.

Entering high school, Elena vows to stay ahead of Lila, academically and romantically; promising a better future for the neighborhood, Stefano Carracci invites Elena, Lila and their families over for New Year's Eve.

Elena grows tired of Gino, while Lila rejects two potential suitors at a cost; a rare outing into the city turns violent; Elena worries about not being there for Lila after accepting an invitation to spend the summer away from the neighborhood.

On the island of Ischia, Elena runs into the Sarratore family, reigniting her childhood crush on Nino; Lila's resistance to Marcello's pressing courtship reaches a breaking point; an unexpected encounter leaves Elena shaken on her 15th birthday.