The mysterious Italian writer, who publishes under the pseudonym Elena Ferrante, has surprised us again with a new novel – the first part of the Neapolitan cycle, entitled The Brilliant Friend. The setting is the city of Naples and its neighborhoods in the post-World War II period, when radical social and political changes are taking place, the renovation of city districts, the rise of small craftsmen and the trauma of small people. Through the narrative, we learn about the stories of nine important families and the beginning of a special friendship between two girls, their vivid childhood imagination, their favorite books, their first crushes and the maturity that the main characters achieve. A special bond of reading is the relationship between them, which can be a deep friendship and alliance or jealousy and competition, which saves them from the established rhythm of the Neapolitan street and poverty. The story is a nostalgic memory of childhood and youth, but it is more than that – it is a wonderful ode to friendship, which each of us wants to know and experience. At the same time, we hope that you will soon read the next three parts of the Naples Cycle.