I am not usually a fan of coming-of-age stories, but Leah Ypi’s (pronounced “Oo-pee”) book does such an effective job of recreating her childhood in Albania under socialism—both the commonplace and the questionable—that it was hard to put down. She vividly remembers things in her classroom and at home that puzzled her as a child: the importance of “biography” to the trajectory of adults’ lives or the way they abruptly stopped talking when she came in the room. All becomes suddenly clear in 1990 when socialism collapses, and Albania suddenly reverses course toward free market capitalism and a multi-party system. The suddenness of the transition has wrenching consequences for everyone in Albania, and Ypi vividly brings to life the dislocations and hypocrisies that crony capitalism brings. Her perspective is so unique and she rejects stereotypes of all economic and political systems. A refreshing read that made me think.