If only I spoke Italian and could read it in the original! I'm told (by someone who did) the use of dialect makes an untranslatable difference in tone and I believe it, but then I'd have to give it 6 stars.

The series (there are 4 books, but as of today, only 3 have been translated into English) is about relationships, especially the one between Elena and Lila, but the meeting of the two in the sausage plant in which Lenucia realizes she wanted to show off her victory in their competition only to discover that Lila doesn't believe that there is any journey to take, but that it all unfolds in each individual encounter, itself a realization that trumps all Lena's achievements.