The narrator of Linda Ferri’s charismatic debut is a fortunate daughter, growing up with her family in Italy and France, leading a life of wonder and plenty. There is horseback riding. There are late-night ice cream runs. There are neighbors, friends, and eventually, boys. For the time being, suffering means tickle torture, a lost turtle, or a bossy friend.

But, as she grows, the world around her begins to sharpen. Shadows appear and doubts begin to creep. And finally, the dangers of the adult world come into full view, first with the Paris riots of May, 1968, and then when tragedy strikes much closer to home.

Refreshingly joyful, full of the things that children do, Enchantments is also something much more profound: an exploration of the lasting significance of the impressions of our youth. “[A] potent debut . . . genuinely, even nakedly, touching.” – The New York Times

“Testifies to the pleasures of the examined life. . . . Shows us how simply a life is made, minute by minute, scene by scene.” –Los Angeles Times

“Enchantments looks back at the fairy-tale world that its narrator lived in . . . and celebrates the bittersweet wonder of having grown up in her own family. . . . Ferri handles the subject sure-handedly and gracefully.” –The Washington Post