A Constellation of Vital PhenomenaA haunting novel set in a nearly abandoned hospital in war-torn Chechnya that is both intimate and ambitious in scope. Eight-year-old Havaa, Akhmed, the neighbour who rescues her after her father's disappearance, and Sonia, the doctor who shelters her over 5 dramatic days in December 2004, must all reach back into their pasts to unravel the intricate mystery of coincidence, betrayal and forgiveness which unexpectedly binds them and decides their fate. In his bold debut, Anthony Marra proves that sometimes fiction can tell us the truth of the world far better, and far more powerfully, than any news story. You will not forget the world he creates--A Constellation of Vital Phenomena and its characters will haunt you long after you turn the final page. |
Contents
Chapter | |
Chapter 2 | |
Chapter 3 | |
Chapter 4 | |
Chapter 5 | |
Chapter 6 | |
Chapter 7 | |
Chapter 8 | |
Chapter 17 | |
Chapter 18 | |
Chapter 19 | |
Chapter 20 | |
Chapter 21 | |
Chapter 22 | |
Chapter 23 | |
The Fourth and Fifth Days | |
Chapter 9 | |
The Third | |
Chapter 10 | |
Chapter 11 | |
Chapter 12 | |
Chapter 13 | |
Chapter 14 | |
Chapter 15 | |
Chapter 16 | |
Chapter 24 | |
Chapter 25 | |
Chapter 26 | |
Chapter 27 | |
Chapter 28 | |
Chapter 29 | |
Authors Note | |
Acknowledgments About the Author | |
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Common terms and phrases
afternoon Akhmed Akhmed's arborist arms asked bedroom beneath Boris Yeltsin breath brother Chechen Chechnya cheeks chest cigarette colonel dental floss Deshi didn’t disappeared doctor dogs Dokka door earlier Eldár eyes face father Feds felt field commander fingers floor forest fucking girl Grozny hair hands Havaa head held hospital imam Kazakhstan Khassan kilometers knew land mines Landfill legs lips looked Maali Makarov Makarov pistol maternity ward meters months morning mother mouth Natasha never night nodded Park passed portrait pulled Ramzan reached rebels refugees remember returned road Russian Samsonite shahidka shoulder sister skin sleep smiled snow soldiers Sonja Soviet spoke stitched stomach stood suitcase teip tell thought told took trousers truck turned village voice Volchansk Wahhabi waiting walked wall watched weeks wife window woman wrapped zachistka