This is a tightly told novella (about 50 short chapters) about a life in communist Romania, when one is on the wrong side of the authorities. The author uses magical realism as a counterpoint, showcasing some of the older, outlawed traditions & folklore (such as catching fairies -- Sanziene -- or shrinking people). It all works beautifully to show the horrors of living under a communist regime, the hope one can find, the old vs. the new, & the hard, strange twists of life that one can endure.