The Days of Abandonment is a 2002 Italian novel by Elena Ferrante first published in English in 2005, translated by Ann Goldstein and published by Europa Editions. The novel tells the story of an Italian woman living in Turin whose husband abruptly leaves her after fifteen years together. In 2005, the novel was adapted into the film I giorni dell'abbandono, directed by Roberto Faenza. HBO Films planned to adapt the novel into a film starring Natalie Portman and written and directed by Maggie Betts, but production was shelved after Portman left the project. Plot The whole story is based on the sudden end of a seemingly solid, happy marriage. Olga, a stay at home mother in her late 30s, is told by her husband Mario that he is leaving her and their two children. Initially, Olga believes that Mario is not serious, but she soon realizes he has left her for another woman. The end to the marriage of 15 years creates a profound internal crisis for Olga. She has to work again and gets the job of finishing and translating an unfinished novel. After discovering that the other woman Mario is having an affair with is the daughter of one of his colleagues, whom he met when she was fifteen, Olga begins to have a breakdown. She attacks Mario and his new girlfriend Carla when she meets them in the street. Afterwards, Olga begins a long introspective journey to analyze the years with her husband, to find errors and gaps that could have created his desire to leave. The sad reality soon emerges: Mario is simply in love with another woman. Olga, therefore, completely abandons her sadness, risking losing herself and her life. Her responsibilities multiply against her: there are two children to care for, a house to maintain, and a dog to look after. Ordinary actions, the basic precautions of a mother, begin to alienate her and make it impossible to continue. Her past and her childhood fears return to torment her, together with the idea that a woman without love, without a man, can't survive. She grows vulgar in mind and gesture, as a relief from unbearable pain. Olga tries to seduce a neighbour, but it goes terribly. Though they attempt to have sex, they are eventually forced to give up when he cannot sustain an erection. One day in August, Olga's son Gianni contracts a fever