My Brilliant Friend is the first of 4 novels in the Neapolitan series written by Elena Ferrante and translated from Italian by Ann Goldstein. The story takes place in the 1950s in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Italy. Elena and Lila are the central characters and through them we learn the hardships of the country,the city and the neighborhood. Although the girls are friends, there is a strong competitive nature between them and as Naples changes, so do the girls and their bond. The first book goes through adolescence and ends with a marriage. The books should be read in order.

Reviewed by Terri