A Constellation of Vital Phenomena: A Novel

New York Times Notable Book of the Year

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 fore...show more

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416 pages

Average rating: 8.03

36 RATINGS

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4 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Anonymous
Dec 27, 2023
10/10 stars
Wow... what a beautifully written book. The story takes place in war torn Chechnya, how war affects the lives of 6 or more people and how their lives are intertwined. The tough decisions we make in our regular lives and how much more difficult decisions and choices are in times of war and destruction. Destruction not only of cities and buildings, but of lives and sanity. Read this book.
Anonymous
Dec 04, 2023
10/10 stars
Once again, Books on the Nightstand recommended an amazing book! This one is Marra's debut novel and I'm just jealous. It's so beautifully written, so uniquely constructed, that it feels like an old soul wrote this. I can't wait to read more of his work.

We are in Chechnya and, while technically, we focus on a few characters, the lives of the characters are rich enough to pull others into their orbit and we learn about them as well. Eight year old...read more
Vanwalc
Mar 03, 2023
Quote: “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.”
Jax_
Aug 31, 2022
9/10 stars
A heartbreaking story of the depredations in 2004 wartime Chechnya as separatists battle the Russian Federation and pro-Russian Chechen forces. It is a story of sacrifice, treachery, terror, and regret. Marra’s characters are fully formed, whether they are flawed, selfless, cruel, inspiring, or soulless. The writing is dense and filled with such complex emotion one must pause to give it the service it deserves. At times, the metaphors were confus...read more

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