The mysterious Elena Ferrante (not her real name) concludes her astonishing Neapolitan series with this fourth volume in the story of a decades-long friendship between two women born in an impoverished neighborhood in post-World War II Naples. If that description sounds sentimental, think again 鈥� Ferrante's books are as fierce as they are dazzling. Although it would be most powerful to read all four (starting with "My Brilliant Friend"), the novels can also be enjoyed independently. You can read the Monitor's review of "The Story of the Lost Child" here.
