The woman upstairs

The Woman Upstairs is a novel by Claire Messud that follows Nora Eldridge, a schoolteacher in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who becomes deeply entangled with the Shahid family.

Nora's obsession with them, particularly the mother, Sirena, an Italian artist, leads to a complex exploration of desire, identity, and the constraints of societal expectations.

The novel delves into themes of female experience, power, and powerlessness, culminating in a dramatic revelation that changes Nora's life forever.