Succinct and episodic, "Enchantments" is a delightfully rich evocation of childhood, family life, and memory. Falling outside the bounds of strict form, Linda Ferri's literary debut is a refreshing mix of novel, short story, autobiography and memoir: perhaps best described simply as narrative. The magic of place, character and event are recounted in the first person by the book's young narrator as she, her younger sister Clara, and her parents adjust to a new life in the Paris of the 1960s. New discoveries are made, new friendships formed, and perception is enlivened. The simple rhythms of family life provide a backdrop to the complex joys of youthful existence - Barbie dolls, pet turtles, horseback rides, and chocolate desserts; while summer vacations in Tuscany, and a trip to America to visit relatives offer adventure and an opportunity to measure experience. Objects and events are magnified in significance as time slowly passes, and the first hints of adolescent pain infringe on the bliss of childhood. Ferri's deceptively simple prose style and innate sense of literary form echo perfectly the cadences of a child's response to the world and take the reader on a seamless carousel ride of the ups and downs buried in our first memories of experience.