A CONSTELLATION OF VITAL PHENOMENA

This is longlisted for the National Book Award 2013. In a snow-covered village in Chechnya, eight-year-old Havaa watches from the wo ods as her father is abducted in the middle of the night by Russian soldiers. Their life-long friend and neighbour, Akhmed, has also been watching, and when he finds Havaa he knows of only one person who might be able to help. For tough-minded doctor Sonja Rabina, it's just another day of trying to keep her bombed-out, abandoned hospital going. When Akhmed arrives with Havaa, asking Sonja for shelter, ...[Read more]