What a brief and delightfully mysterious little story about a little girl's doll who gets left on the beach. It's simple and short, but not a children's book, necessarily—surreal and quirky with a side of creepy. ( )

This is a really charming little children's book with Ferrante's story supplemented by nice illustrations by Mara Cerri. I've never before read anything by Ferrante, and I have to confess that I didn't buy this one – I read it cover-to-cover sitting at a table at a Barnes & Noble. The story's ending isn't quite credible, but so what, it's sweet.

It's modestly priced at $13 so I might buy it sometime. I've never before read anything by Ferrante, and I've got so much else on my plate that I doubt I ever will, but I did enjoy my quick read at B&N. Admirers of Ferrante might be disappointed if The Beach at Night is something that they don't expect from their author, but as a newcomer to Ferrante, I enjoyed it. ( )