NATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE’S JOHN LEONARD AWARD • LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDNAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • San Francisco Chronicle • New York • Chicago Tribune • Kansas City Star • GQ • NPR • Christian Science Monitor • Cleveland Plain … Star • GQ • NPR • Christian Science Monitor • Cleveland Plain Dealer
In a small rural village in Chechnya, eight-year-old Havaa watches from the woods as Russian soldiers abduct her father in the middle of the night and then set fire to her home. When their lifelong neighbor Akhmed finds Havaa hiding in the forest with a strange blue suitcase, he makes a decision that will forever change their lives. He will seek refuge at the abandoned hospital where the sole remaining doctor, Sonja Rabina, treats the wounded.
For Sonja, the arrival of Akhmed and Havaa is an unwelcome surprise. Weary and overburdened, she has no desire to take on additional risk and responsibility. But over the course of five extraordinary days, Sonja’s world will shift on its axis and reveal the intricate pattern of connections that weaves together the pasts of these three unlikely companions and unexpectedly decides their fate. A story of the transcendent power of love in wartime, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a work of sweeping breadth, profound compassion, and lasting significance.
Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content from the author.
Praise for A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
“Here, in fresh, graceful prose, is a profound story that dares to be as tender as it is ghastly, a story about desperate lives in a remote land that will quickly seem impossibly close and important. . . . I haven’t been so overwhelmed by a novel in years. At the risk of raising your expectations too high, I have to say you simply must read this book.”—Ron Charles, Washington Post
“Extraordinary . . . a 21st century War and Peace . . . Marra seems to derive his astral calm in the face of catastrophe directly from Tolstoy.”—Madison Smartt Bell, New York Times Book Review
“Ambitious and intellectually restless . . . [Marra is] a lover not a fighter, a prose writer who resembles the Joseph Heller of Catch-22 and the Jonathan Safran Foer of Everything Is Illuminated.”—Dwight Garner, New York Times
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If I could have everyone read one book, it would be A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra. Truly one of the most beautiful and moving books I’ve ever read.
This book felt like a winter storm – as endlessly beautiful as it was stark and chilling. It is not an easy read, and yet, I absolutely could not put it down. The writing was utterly absorbing and the story magnetic. This is a rare masterpiece of a book that I will be recommending as often as I can, to everyone I can.
He writes about the evil in the world. You realize nothing changes. Same thing going on today
If there was a rating of 10, I would give it to this book. It is an unusual, disjointed narrative that weaves characters together. I was sad to be finished reading this marvelous book
Stunning in its language but especially thoughtful in its human insight. Stays with you in the most positive way
This is a read that stuck with me. Not always easy to read but worth the effort.
wierd
I loved this book and will never forget it.
Interesting, but I kept waiting for the big action, the big climax, the point where characters clash, some difficult point had to be resolved, and just not much. As a depiction of the Chechnyan people, I came away with long-suffering, and then they suffered more, and probably they are still suffering. I did find the list of sources at the end useful, especially the author’s notes on what he took from the sources and how they applied to his characters. I was looking to develop some empathy with characters, and, maybe my failing, just did not. Final feeling was just some random people who by chance happened to interact a little, with little or no benefit to anyone, little or no learning from or about each other, no lessons for life after, and, oh, everyone suffered a lot.
Well written, super depressing. Learned a lot about Chechnya and Russia I didn’t know.
It was one of the saddest books I have ever read. You kept hoping things would get better but they never did.
Definitely worth reading -/ sad but realistic about 2 wars I knew very little about. 6 key characters told on
Multiple time lines
This is one of the best written books I have read in 50 years. . .stunningly beautiful and tragic at the same time.
The author did a wonderful job of Transitioning between different time phones and different characters. He also painted a clear and vivid picture of The settings In political environment.
This is not a feel good or happy ending type book. It is about the grim realities of a war torn country And the physical and psychological impact on the people who lived there.1 thing I did like about the story was that the author did include Statements about what would become of each character in the future.
An absolutely essential, well-written book describing in human terms the cost of politics, war, tyranny and bigotry. A devastatingly, brutal picture of what was done to Chechnya. Heartbreakingly good.
Brilliant book; difficult topics; honest and haunting.
So worth reading. I do tend to like difficult topics and books that
don’t always wrap up neatly. Everyone I’ve recommended it to, though,
has thoroughly appreciated it.
The fate that has brought these unlikely characters together will pull at your heartstrings. I fell in love with each of them. The story has stayed with me for years. It is a beautifully crafted book.
Just couldn’t connect
This was not an easy read, but well worth it. The way the author tied the characters together was amazing-beautifully written characters in a devastating setting. It was heart wrenching and life affirming. I continue to mull over this story and what happened to these characters. I don’t believe most people have anything close to an understanding of the impact of war on everyday peoples lives. This story tried to express that impact.
This book shows the deep privations of the citizens of a country torn
apart by constant war. The characters are so sympathetic and beautifully
drawn. I recommend this book to any reader who wants to know more about
Chechnya