On Saturday, November 23, we met at Jonetta's new home in Austin to discuss our latest novel. As usual when Jonetta hosts book club during the fall/winter season there was a major cold front which came through complete with rain/sleet mixture! Thank you to the three brave souls who traveled the long distance for some warm food and scintillating conversation. Our authentic Russian meal was prepared by The Russian House in downtown Austin. We dined on Tarragon Salad, Russian Blinis, and Ukrainian Borsch served with Cheburek. The roasted tiger figs topped with honey goat cheese, homemade by our hostess, provided a sweet ending to our meal.
Synopsis:
Akhmed risks his own life to save the young daughter of his friend and neighbor who has been taken by the Interior Ministry, a fate of death. In his attempt to keep Haava away from those who would have also killed her, Akhmed takes her to the hospital where he involves the only doctor there, Sonja. Over the period of a few short days the characters will discover they are connected in ways which will bring both desired answers and heartbreak.
Comments:
What is amazing to all of us is that this is a modern story based on true events and yet our ignorance to the suffering of the citizens and destruction of the landscape of Chechnya was evident as we read this novel. The horrors which these people have endured throughout the years as a direct result of the Chechen Wars is eye-opening. However, the author shows the resiliency, courage, and compassion which humans can choose to display despite their circumstances. He was also fair enough to highlight those characters who choose an alternative path in their life, whether out of greed or self-preservation.
As the story revealed itself, the characters evolved. Natasha provided the biggest surprise for us, while Ramzan revealed a motivation which explained his character flaw and perceived wickedness. Akhmed's artistic ability and endeavors were beautiful as he attempted to memorialize those folks who had lost their life in the cruelty of the war. His art was a documentary of lives and the city as it was or should have been.
The author's use of descriptive phrases painted such vivid pictures for the reader. The following are a few of our favorites: "The soldiers were all fear and peach fuzz." (p. 28 - Kindle); "For months they'd run their fingers around the hem of their affection without once acknowledging the fabric." (p. 286 - Kindle); "...that utopian mirage cooked up by cruel young men who gave their mustaches more care than their morality..." (p. 80 - Kindle); "And after the fire had read his pages, and the dogs basked in the warmth, and the ashes grayed the snow..." (p. 96 - Kindle)
Memorable Quote:
"She marked the days, but time didn't march forward; instead it turned from day to night, from hospital to flat, from cries to silence, from claustrophobia to loneliness and back again, like a coin flipping from side to side. Happiness came in moments of unpredictable loveliness." (p. 34 - Kindle)
"There is something miraculous in the way the years wash away your evidence, first you, then your friends and family, then the descendants who remember your face, until you aren't even a memory, you're only carbon, no greater than your atoms, and time will divide them as well." (p. 124 - Kindle)
FAB Rating: **** (4 out of 5 stars)
Although the setting of this novel proved to be dark and unsettling at times, the main characters compelled the reader to keep reading as they revealed their vulnerabilities, strengths, flaws, and secret desires. As one FAB member so poetically stated, "The threads of the story woven throughout finally produce the tapestry of the story at the end." The end proved worth the read and the revealed truths made for a fascinating story which stays with the reader long after the book has been closed.
