‘My Brilliant Friend’, the first in a four-part series known as ‘The Neapolitan Novels’, opens with sixty-year-old Elena, irritated to discover that her best friend Lila has gone missing. But long before we can find out what’s happened to her, we’re taken back to the girl’s childhood in the troubled suburbs of Naples as Elena commits to writing down the story of their lives. If I had to use one word to describe Elena Ferrante’s writing, it would be ‘warm’. Despite the poverty and injustice that surrounds these characters, and the tumultuous nature of Elena and Lila’s friendship, the story still manages to be nostalgic and inviting. It takes a lot for me to commit to reading a series, but I’m already looking forward to returning to the neighbourhood. Ferrante’s ability to comment on the roles of women, education and generational trauma with a light-touch reminded me of Austen, but with more teeth. MG