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A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

A Novel
By Anthony Marra
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in a small Chechen village during the brutal final days of 2004, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena follows eight-year-old Havaa as she escapes the abduction of her father by Russian forces. She finds refuge in a bombed hospital with Sonja, the lone surviving doctor, and Akhmed, a failed physician and neighbour. Over five tense days, the characters confront wartime horrors while uncovering a deeply interwoven tale of coincidence, betrayal, and forgiveness. This debut novel poignantly explores the enduring power of love amid conflict.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5100

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers of literary and general fiction interested in stories about human endurance, war, and the redemptive power of love. Those seeking emotionally rich narratives set against historical conflict will find this compelling.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a brilliant debut novel that brings to life an abandoned hospital where a tough-minded doctor decides to harbour a hunted young girl, with powerful consequences.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

A searing debut about the transcendent power of love in wartime, hailed as "an absolute masterpiece" (Sarah Jessica Parker, Entertainment Weekly) from the renowned author of Mercury Pictures Presents.

"Extraordinary . . . a twenty-first century War and Peace." - The New York Times Book Review

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE JOHN LEONARD AWARD WINNER

ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal

In the final days of December 2004, in a small rural village in Chechnya, eight-year-old Havaa hides in the woods when her father is abducted by Russian forces. Fearing for her life, she flees with their neighbour Akhmed—a failed physician—to the bombed-out hospital, where Sonja, the one remaining doctor, treats a steady stream of wounded rebels and refugees and mourns her missing sister. Over the course of five dramatic days, Akhmed and Sonja reach back into their pasts to unravel the intricate mystery of coincidence, betrayal, and forgiveness that unexpectedly binds them and decides their fate.

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR - The New York Times Book Review, Chicago Tribune, NPR, Kansas City Star, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Kirkus Reviews

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as "an absolute masterpiece" by Sarah Jessica Parker and called "extraordinary" by The New York Times Book Review, this novel has been acclaimed for its tender yet unflinching portrayal of desperate lives. Ron Charles of the Washington Post marvels at its "fresh, graceful prose" and profound emotional impact, declaring it a must-read. The San Francisco Chronicle highlights the exquisite imagery and intricate weaving of grace and tragedy, while The New Yorker commends Marra's vivid storytelling and deft characterisations. Overall, it is lauded as a brilliant, affecting work.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780770436421

Publisher: Random House USA Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 February 2014

Country: United States

Imprint: Bantam Books Inc

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 306g

Pages: 416

Collections

Anthony Marra Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

ANTHONY MARRA is the author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (2013), which won the National Book Critics Circle's inaugural John Leonard Prize, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in fiction, the Barnes and Noble Discover Award, and appeared on over twenty year-end lists. Marra's novel was a National Book Award long list selection as well as a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and France's Prix Medicis. He received an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, where he teaches as the Jones Lecturer in Fiction. He has lived and studied in Eastern Europe, and now resides in Oakland, California. His story collection,The Tsar of Love and Techno, is forthcoming from Hogarth (Fall 2015). Visit http-//anthonymarra.net/

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