Tuesday, March 18

A constellation of Vital Phenomena- must read



A wonderful debut novel by Anthony Marra- a fiction examining the intertwined lives of people living in war torn Chechnya.  A story of how a little girl 8 years of age got to live, largely due to the kindness of her friend and neighbor Akhmed. The book set in 2004 covers about 4-5 days of events that were set in motion in a village called Eldar. The author tries to provide closure by describing occurrences from his characters' past.

Characters in the book are:
Akhmed (a hero, perhaps) and his sick wife Ula
Khassan and his son Ramzan- the pair have not spoken much, especially since Ramzan turned a rat helping feds disappear villagers (he was tortured, that is a good enough reason right? Although is there ever one to betray your own friends and family?)
Sophia (the brilliant London-trained surgeon who comes back for her sister) and Natasha (her sister, a victim of human trafficking)
Dokka (Akhmed's neighbor and friend), Esiila (his wife) and Havaa (their 8-year old daughter)

Each of these people's lives are intertwined and these back stories are beautifully woven with the present. I loved the book and a must read is all I would say.