“Land of Enchantment” by Leigh Stein
Penguin Random House
($22.00, 212 pages)
Set in the New Mexico, “Land of Enchantment,” is a riveting coming-of-age memoir about young love and its impact. The story opens with the author receiving a phone call from her brother to tell that her ex-boyfriend, Jason, has been killed in road accident. Jason’s death causes our protagonist to recall the difficult life they shared together and forces her to contemplate tough questions while grieving. How is it possible to fall in love with someone who causes so much pain? Why is it so hard to walk away from this type of love? How can love be so destructive? The engaging memoir traces the psychological evolution of an abusive relationship, while raising larger issues. Why are the women who step forward so often shamed and bullied?