A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

Study Guide
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
(c)2015 BookRags, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contents
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena Study Guide........................................................................ 1
Contents...................................................................................................................................... 2
Plot Summary.............................................................................................................................. 3
Chapter 1..................................................................................................................................... 5
Chapters 2-4................................................................................................................................ 8
Chapters 5-6.............................................................................................................................. 12
Chapters 7-9.............................................................................................................................. 15
Chapters 10-11.......................................................................................................................... 18
Chapters 12-14.......................................................................................................................... 21
Chapters 15-17.......................................................................................................................... 24
Chapters 18-21.......................................................................................................................... 27
Chapters 22-23.......................................................................................................................... 31
Chapters 24-26.......................................................................................................................... 34
Chapters 27-29.......................................................................................................................... 38
Characters................................................................................................................................. 41
Symbols and Symbolism............................................................................................................ 45
Settings...................................................................................................................................... 47
Themes and Motifs.................................................................................................................... 49
Styles......................................................................................................................................... 53
Quotes....................................................................................................................................... 56

Plot Summary
The story opens with a man named Akhmed who watches helplessly while his friend
and neighbor, Dokka, is arrested and hauled away in the middle of the night. Akhmed
sees that Dokka's daughter, Havaa, is not taken and as soon as the military truck leave,
Akhmed goes looking for Havaa in the nearby woods. He finds her and takes her home.
The next day, Akhmed heads for the nearby city where he has heard of a woman doctor
who runs a hospital. He hopes this woman will take care of Havaa.
Sonja is the only doctor remaining at Hospital No. 6. She has one nurse and a security
guard to help her, and she has no interest in helping Havaa. She agrees that Havaa can
remain at the hospital on the condition that Akhmed works at the hospital. He's a doctor
but graduated at the bottom of his class and they both see his shortcomings very
quickly. Akhmed agrees, but knows he has to be very careful about going to the hospital
each day.
At home, Akhmed cares for his bed-ridden wife and tries to hide his activities from a
neighbor, Ramzan, who works as an informant for the military. Ramzan is an informant
only because he was tortured and castrated. He hates his role but feels powerless to
change it. His father, Khassan, is ashamed and feels he should kill his son, but can't
bring himself to do so. Khassan never speaks to Ramzan except when his son is
heavily drugged and won't remember their conversations. He does help Akhmed hide
his daily trip to the hospital for the short time that commute continues.
Ramzan is the reason for Dokka's arrest and the reason the military is looking for
Havaa. Ramzan is told that a gun that had once been in his possession was used to kill
a military officer. Ramzan tells his handler that the gun had last been in Dokka's
possession and tells them how to find Dokka and Havaa. Though Havaa is just a child,
it's clear that she'll be punished for her role in the officer's death.
Dokka had possession of the gun for awhile but had given it away. Dokka's entire world
is caring for Havaa but he has a huge handicap. He is Ramzan when Ramzan is
arrested for the second time, and their captors cut off all of Dokka's fingers. Dokka's
house is known as a haven for refugees traveling toward the camps. When a young
woman named Natasha arrives at his home one day, Dokka immediately recognizes her
as the midwife who delivered Havaa at Hospital No. 6. Dokka urges Natasha to remain
with him rather than traveling alone, but Natasha insists that she's going on toward the
refugee camps in the hope of eventually making her way to London. Dokka gives
Natasha the gun, saying he can't fire it and doesn't want Havaa to have that
responsibility.
Natasha continues her journey but is stopped at a military check point. It becomes clear
that an officer is going to rape her. Natasha was held captive years earlier and decides
she won't be a helpless victim yet again. She kills the officer but his soldiers kill her
moments later.

Natasha's older sister is Sonja and Sonja realizes that Natasha has a connection to
Havaa when she finds a nutcracker among Havaa's possessions. Sonja had given the
nutcracker to Natasha who had given it to Havaa. Sonja accepts full responsibility for
Havaa from that moment and helps her grow into a successful, well-educated young
woman. Havaa lives to be more than 100 years old and eventually dies at Hospital No.
6, the same hospital where she was born.

Chapter 1
Summary
The first section is titled The First and Second Days. Chapter 1 opens the day after
Federal soldiers burned down the home of Havaa and her father, Dokka. Havaa is 8
years old and she is at the home of her neighbor and friend, Akhmed. Akhmed and
Havaa stand outside and look at the burned rubble. Akhmed recalls helping build an
addition onto the house for Havaa's room and Dokka's promise to help Akhmed build on
if he ever had a child of his own. Akhmed also remembers the events of the previous
evening. Four soldiers had emerged from a truck and forced their way into the house.
They emerged a short time later with Dokka, bound and gagged. Akhmed heard the
soldiers ask about the girl but they didn't find Havaa. Akhmed waited, hidden inside his
own home, until the soldiers left, before going into the woods where Havaa was hiding.
He kept Havaa at his own home for the rest of the night.
Back in the present, Akhmed tries to imagine why the Feds would arrest Dokka and why
they would be looking for Havaa. Havaa breaks into this thoughts, saying her father
probably isn't coming back. Akhmed says it's safer if they assume he isn't ever going to
return.
Havaa has a blue suitcase with everything she has left. She'd kept it packed on her
father's orders and it was the only thing she had time to grab the previous evening when
the soldiers arrived and her father ordered her to hide in the woods.
Akhmed and Havaa walk through Eldar, the village where they live, and on toward the
town of Volchansk. They see a dead wolf, killed by a landmine, and Akhmed assures
Havaa that the wolf died because it wasn't careful. Havaa says they will be more careful
and they continue their journey.
Meanwhile, a young doctor named Sophia Andreyevna Rabina is asleep at Hospital No.
6 where she is the only doctor remaining. She is known as Sonja. The hospital's only
nurse is an old woman named Deshi. Deshi wakes Sonja, saying there's a man who
wants to talk to her. The man is Akhmed. He greets Sonja by her full name, which is
something few people know. He says Havaa needs a place to stay and pleads with
Sonja to take care of her. Akhmed questions Sonja about the hospital and she confirms
she is the only doctor. He is a licensed doctor and offers to work for her until a home is
found for Havaa. She says it's not likely they can find a home and he promises to work
for as long as it takes. He points out that the Feds are looking for Havaa. Sonja
questions Akhmed about his medical knowledge and realizes he knows very little. He
claims to have graduated in the top of his class but was actually at the bottom, barely
earning his degree. She says they need someone to help with laundry and other chores,
and agrees Havaa can stay as long as Akhmed works at the hospital.

Sonja spends all her time at the hospital though she has an apartment in the city. She
takes Havaa to the room where they will sleep then turns her attention to Akhmed. She
shows him around the hospital and he notices there is a lack of furniture. She says
everything of use has been moved to the rooms where they handle trauma patients and
births. She opens a door on the fourth floor and shows Akhmed that the entire side of
the building is missing. Just inside that door, the floor falls away and she says Deshi's
sister was killed in the blast.
She introduces Akhmed to Deshi. With his first comment, Deshi says Akhmed is trying
to seduce her. Akhmed is 39 years old and says Deshi is old enough to be my mother.
Deshi then says Akhmed is insulting her. Akhmed is clearly unnerved and Sonja lets it
go on for a few minutes before stepping in.

Analysis
There is little explanation about the relationship between Akhmed and Dokka in this first
chapter but the details will be revealed over coming chapters. Their relationship is part
of one of the book's most important themes. The two men, along with a man named
Ramzan who also lives in the village, grow up together and are good friends until
circumstances push them apart. This relationship is important in the first chapter as
Akhmed watches Dokka's arrest. Akhmed does nothing to try to intervene and it seems
that this is merely an accepted part of life in this area at this time. The civil unrest is
rampant and arrests like this are common. As Dokka is being hauled away, Akhmed is
relieved that he is safe.
Akhmed takes a tremendous risk in helping Havaa after her father's arrest. Akhmed
could be arrested just for allowing Havaa to spend the night in his house. He is uneasy
and tries to hide his participation, but that's partly because he wants to keep Havaa
safe. Over the coming days, he'll travel to the hospital daily and he tries to keep his
destination secret because he knows that there is an informant in the village.
Sonja is keeping the hospital open by herself. This work is one of the themes of the
story and indicates her level of commitment to providing at least a basic level of medical
care for the people of the area. She is literally driving herself into the ground and is
staying awake so much that she has hallucinations.
Sonja quickly realizes that Akhmed doesn't know much about medicine but she accepts
his help because she's desperate. She imagines that she will have him washing sheets,
making beds, and doing other menial tasks, but he does step in at times of crisis to help
provide medical care.

Discussion Question 1
Describe Havaa's reaction to Dokka's arrest and what does this indicate about the
situation in this time and place?
6

Discussion Question 2
Why do you believe Sonja is keeping the hospital open?

Discussion Question 3
Why does Sonja accept Akhmed as a member of the hospital staff?

Vocabulary
writhing, arabesques, consoling, divot, prostrated, ablutions, robust, immense, viable,
compensated, provisionally

Chapters 2-4
Summary
Chapter 2 reverts back to 1996. Sonja recalls leaving her home in London. She broke
up with Brendan, her Scottish fiance, resigned from her hospital residency, and made
the trip home with a single Samsonite suitcase, a gift from Brendan. The situation was
serious and she was frightened as her bus crossed military checkpoints. She knocked
on her apartment door, hoping her sister, Natasha, would answer, but found it empty.
The next day, she encountered a neighbor named Laina who warned Sonja that it
wasn't safe to come into the hall when she heard people. Laina didn't know where
Natasha had gone.
Sonja was hired at Hospital No. 6 and they didn't even ask for a resume. There was little
in the way of management structure and she became chief surgeon in two months. She
soon had more trauma experience than most of her medical school professors and her
only interaction was with patients and other hospital staff members. One evening,
Natasha returned.
Chapter 3 returns to 2004. Akhmed is happy as he leaves the hospital that first day. He
thinks Sonja is domineering and that Deshi is a lunatic, but Akhmed is pleased that
Havaa is safe and he is using his medical training.
Akhmed becomes very cautious as he nears his village. Ramzan is an informant for the
Feds, and Akhmed knows that he will tell them if he learns where Havaa is hiding.
Akhmed makes it safely home and his wife, Ula, asks where he's been. Akhmed says
he was helping Dokka shear the sheep and Ula accepts this unlikely information as fact.
Ula is bedridden and seldom coherent. Akhmed is repelled by her illness but bound by
her helplessness. He makes rice for Ula and thinks back over his day. He knows Sonja
is not impressed by his abilities and wishes he'd had the forethought to tell her about his
ability to communicate and help people on an emotional level.
Back at the hospital, Sonja makes room for Havaa in the room she calls her own. It's in
the abandoned gerontology ward. Sonja is upset to find that Havaa has stapled latex
gloves all over her clothes and now claims to be a sea anemone. Citing the waste of
medical supplies, Sonja urges Havaa to change her clothes. Sonja asks about the blue
suitcase and Havaa says she has clothes and souvenirs inside. The souvenirs are from
people who stayed at her home in Eldar.
Sonja and Havaa talk as they get ready for bed and Sonja gets some small insight into
Havaa's life, though mostly though hints. Havaa falls asleep quickly and Sonja wrestles
with thoughts and emotions. She is grateful that Akhmed is going to help. She thinks
about Natasha's second disappearance and that her sister didn't even leave a note.

In Chapter 4, Akhmed heads back to the hospital. He sees Khassan and tries to avoid
him, but the snow makes it easy for Khassan to track Akhmed. Khassan is old and
Akhmed recalls being amazed by Khassan's stories of a 16-year odyssey that included
travels through several war zones.
Khassan says he's sorry about Dokka. Akhmed asks if Khassan can get information
from Ramzan but doesn't know what information he'd want. Khassan says he hasn't
spoken to his son for almost two years. Khassan says no one in the village will talk to
him because of Ramzan and asks why Akhmed still talks to him. Akhmed knows that
Khassan is a decent person caught up in a situation he can't control. Akhmed says he'll
be gone for the day and asks Khassan to walk around on both sides of the road to
disguise Akhmed's footprints in the snow.
A one-armed security guard stops Akhmed at the door of the hospital, making him
remove all the glass shards from his shoes before entering. Ahkmed has convinced
himself he's playing an important role at the hospital and is upset at the guard's attitude.
He snidely asks if the guard is paid half rate because of his missing arm. The guard
makes a comment indicating he knows that Akhmed failed Sonja's brief medical
interview the previous day.
Inside the hospital, Havaa rushes to Akhmed, obviously having worried that he wouldn't
return. Havaa is at a loss for how to fit in to this new environment. Akhmed says the
guard wants to learn to juggle but is embarrassed to ask. He says Havaa should offer to
teach him and warns that she'll have to be persistent to get through to the guard.
That afternoon, Sonja works in surgery while Akhmed folds sheets. Dokka thinks back
to the beginning of Ula's illness. He had been embarrassed to take her to the hospital,
believing he should have been able to diagnose and treat his own wife. He tried forcing
her to get out of bed but had realized he'd never try that again. That morning, he left Ula
food and water at the bedside and knows that Havaa's future is more important than
Ula's.
Sonja announces that they'll go to the city of Grozny the following day to pick up
supplies. They are still talking when they hear the blast of a landmine. Soon, victims
arrive and Sonja talks Akhmed through the process as she forces him to help amputate
what's left of a man's leg. Akhmed argues that he isn't qualified to perform the surgery
but Sonja points out that there might be multiple victims, meaning he'd have to be ready
and able to help.

Analysis
It's important for the reader to understand about Akhmed's life prior to the day of
Dokka's arrest to fully understand his happiness as he leaves the hospital for the first
time. He is a native of the small village of Eldar. He is the only person in that village's
history to be accepted into medical school and the entire village celebrated his
achievement. It seemed as if everyone had gained something but it wasn't even
9

because they wanted him to become a doctor and return to the village. Their happiness
seemed to be wrapped up in the idea that Akhmed would have the education and
opportunity to leave the village and to make something better of his life. However,
Akhmed was a failure in medical school. He didn't really have the scientific abilities his
teachers expected and he hated medical school. He skipped an entire session of
lectures to attend art classes and he almost flunked out of medical school entirely.
Ironically, he felt a sense of failure because he knew he let the people of Eldar down.
Akhmed's lack of medical understanding is an important aspect of the story and drives
several scenes of the book.
Ahkmed is not a good doctor but he is a kind, thoughtful person. He cites a case of a
man in the village who had a medical problem but was too embarrassed to tell Akhmed
about it, though he needed Akhmed's help. Akhmed gives the man a questionnaire and
the man checks his specific problem, allowing Akhmed to treat the man without
embarrassing him. This is an important part of Akhmed's character and it's vastly
different from Sonja. Sonja has been forced to become harsh and fast with her medical
treatment. She can't take time to soothe an injured patient because there are always
more patients and too much demand on her emotions. She thinks she should force
Akhmed to become more like her but Akhmed thinks Sonja should realize his approach
is also important.
When Akhmed meets up with Khassan on the morning Akhmed is headed to the
hospital for his second day, they talk about a couple of things that are important to the
book. One of them is Khassan's interaction with his son, Ramzan. Khassan says he
hasn't spoken to Ramzan in one year, eleven months and three days, since he began
informing. This indicates that the amount of time is very important to Khassan. He
knows exactly how many days have passed. He is ashamed of Ramzan's actions and
later asks Akhmed if he should kill Ramzan. This aspect of the story will be discussed in
greater depth later.
Another important aspect of the conversation between Akhmed and Khassan is seen
when Akhmed asks about Khassan's book. Khassan has written a book about the
history of their country. The book is thousands of pages and various pieces of it have
been rewritten and submitted for publication at various times. The book is never
published though one short section of it is published as Origins of Chechen Civilization:
Prehistory to the Fall of the Mongol Empire. That book will tie Natasha to Khassan.
When Akhmed has to perform his first amputation, he's horrified by the situation and by
his role in it. He tries to argue with Sonja but she says she might have multiple victims
with the next landmine and that he might be left on his own to perform an amputation.
Akhmed knows he would have dropped out of medical school if he had foreseen this
moment. He completes the task with Sonja's instructions, and notices a specific pain in
his hand from using the saw. He then notices that Sonja has callouses in that spot,
obviously from the massive number of amputations she's performed.

10

Discussion Question 1
What do you know about Ramzan and Khassan at this point? Why does Khassan know
the exact number of days since he's spoken to Ramzan?

Discussion Question 2
Describe Akhmed's medical abilities and his reaction to his first amputation.

Discussion Question 3
Describe Akhmed's character. Why does he tell Havaa that she should help the security
guard learn to juggle?

Vocabulary
reiterate, insubstantial, unfathomably, haughty, indeterminate, reverberated, emulsion,
scrutinized, corporeal, supplication

11

Chapters 5-6
Summary
Chapter 5 opens in 2004 with Khassan Geshilov. He has been working on a massive
manuscript, the history of Chechnya, for years. The manuscript has 3,302 pages and
Khassan has submitted it multiple times for publication. The first chapter is published as
Origins of Chechen Civilization: Prehistory to the Fall of the Mongol Empire with plans
to publish more of the book later. None of the rest of the manuscript is ever printed.
Khassan's relationship with his son, Ramzan, has never been good. As a child, Ramzan
is not curious and Khassan largely ignores him. Khassan has not conversed with
Ramzan since the day Ramzan and Dokka returned from being arrested. Khassan
knows that the list of people Ramzan has turned in is written in an old algebra book.
Khassan sometimes talks to Ramzan when he knows Ramzan is too drugged to
remember. On this day, he pleads with Ramzan to forget about Havaa and Akhmed. He
also thinks about killing Ramzan, as he often does.
Ramzan gets food and supplies as payment for being an informant. Khassan
belligerently gives most of the food to a group of stray dogs. Ramzan tries locking up
the food, leaving out just enough for Khassan for one day at a time, but Khassan feeds
that to the dogs as well. When he loses a great deal of weight, Ramzan gives up.
Khassan thinks about Akhmed's day and realizes Akhmed's wife, Ula, will be alone. He
goes to the house and uses the spare key Akhmed gave him years earlier. Ula is
obviously confused about his identity and he says he's lonely. He tells her about his love
affair with Akhmed's mother, when they were both very young. He feels relieved after his
confession and realizes that the manuscript has weighed him down. He decides to write
something shorter and more important, such as his memories of Dokka to be shared
with Havaa.
In Chapter 6, Havaa is struggling to fit in at the hospital. She worries that Akhmed won't
return and hates that he's left her again. She follows Akhmed's advice and approaches
the guard, asking if he'd like to learn to juggle. The guard says he must have died and
gone to hell. They continue to banter for awhile but Havaa says the guard seems
grumpy and might need another nap.
Havaa has been watching Sonja and now wonders if she might do something with her
life. Her father was an arborist. She talks briefly with Deshi who encourages her to find
something to do. Later, Havaa talks to Sonja. Havaa asks the military is going to take
me too? She feels the need to put the possibility into words in order to address it. Sonja
encourages her to get ready for bed without answering.

12

Analysis
Chapter 5 is devoted to Khassan and there is a great deal of information here about his
character. He was once in love with Akhmed's mother though they both married
someone else. He moved his parents bones from their burial place back to their home
village in a suitcase. He is also a kind man though he has failed miserably as a parent.
He remembers Ramzan's constant interruptions while Khassan is trying to write.
Ramzan always asks if he can do something and Khassan sees this as a fault, believing
that Ramzan should be curious about the world around him. He wishes Ramzan would
sometimes ask how or why, and largely ignores Ramzan because he doesn't ask the
right questions. It seems possible that their lives might have been much different if
Khassan had taken the time to pique Ramzan's curiosity instead of ignoring him.
Khassan writes a massive manuscript and he wants to get it published. He begins
literally before the history of his country and it's only that chapter that gets published.
Khassan writes the entire manuscript in long hand and faces a number of challenges in
his quest for publication. He rewrites multiple times to meet the requirements of various
publishers but then deals always fall through before the publication date. With the
current political situation, Khassan will never be able to get the manuscript published.
The government controls what's published which means Khassan won't be able to
publish anything that puts the government in an unfavorable light. The political climate
changes so drastically from one day to the next that it's literally impossible for Khassan
to revise quickly enough.
It seems strange that Khassan spends the day with Ula. Ula has been bed-ridden for
years and she often lives outside reality. This seems to be why Khassan spends time
talking to her. He believes that she'll forget everything he says to her, meaning he has
someone to talk to but his secrets will still be safe. Ula later believes that Khassan is
Akhmed's father and she tells Akhmed about his visits. That prompts Akhmed to believe
that she's taken a dramatic turn for the worse.
Havaa's observations of Sonja are important because this is the first time Havaa really
believes she has a chance at a better future. She will actually go on to earn a doctorate
degree and to live a long life, and Sonja is the main reason she accomplishes that.
Havaa's life and her future are one of the main themes of the book.

Discussion Question 1
Why do you believe Khassan spends time talking with Ula while Akhmed is away?

Discussion Question 2
Describe Khassan's manuscript and the reasons it's never published. Define the word
propaganda and discuss how it applies to this situation.

13

Discussion Question 3
Why is Havaa interested in Sonja's career?

Vocabulary
monumentally, autonomous, delirious, morass, appeasement, expurgate, depredations,
insinuation, stipulation, tedium, progeny, paradigm

14

Chapters 7-9
Summary
Chapter 7 reverts back in time to 1996. Natasha slept for days after her return. Sonja
tried to get her to talk about her time in Italy but Natasha refused. She had needle
marks from prolonged heroin use. Sonja tried to find a psychiatrist who might help
Natasha but discovered there wasn't a single one left in the city. Natasha would remain
home for seven years and three weeks before disappearing again.
During this time, Sonja struggled to have enough supplies to run the hospital. She
saved the life of a man named Alu. Alu's brother was rich and provided supplies and
mental health books at Sonja's request. He said morphine was prohibitively expensive
but provides heroin as a pain killer. One day, Sonja was walking in the bazaar when she
saw a huge ice machine that came from a hotel. She later asked Alu's brother for the
machine and he got it as well.
Meanwhile, Sonja and Natasha lived in the same apartment but remained at odds.
Sonja hated that they were not close but they each seemed unable to bridge the gap.
One evening, Sonja arrived home and heard Natasha talking with Laina, their neighbor.
Natasha revealed a few details about her time in captivity and Sonja left because she
was afraid of what she might overhear.
Chapter 8 returns to 2004. Akhmed's hands shake for hours after the amputation. He
sees Sonja as a hard woman, capable of cutting off a man's leg without a second
thought. He believes this means she would throw Havaa out, regardless of the danger.
Akhmed encounters Khassan on his way home that evening. Khassan is burning his
manuscript. Akhmed says the manuscript is Khassan's life's work but Khassan says he
has discovered he would rather be forgotten than to be remembered.
When Akhmed reaches home, he discovers Ramzan is waiting for him. They talk with
Ramzan hinting that he wants to know the identity of the person who is helping hide
Havaa. Akhmed is too tired to be very discreet but doesn't admit to anything and says
he can't imagine why the soldiers would want a little girl. Ramzan says there are no
limits, meaning anyone can be sought by the government. Ramzan asks where Akhmed
has been all day but Akhmed refuses to say. Ramzan reminds Akhmed that he has a
sick wife but Akhmed refuses to give any information.
Akhmed goes inside and Ula says she visited with Akhmed's father that day. She says
they talked about Akhmed's mother and she reveals a detail about his mother that she
couldn't have known. Akhmed takes it as a sign that her days are numbered.
In Chapter 9, Khassan writes about Dokka. This manuscript is intended for Havaa. He
writes that Dokka had planned to teach Havaa to write, but couldn't decide whether she
should learn Cyrillic in case the Russians took over their country or Latin in case the
15

rebels won. He finally decided on Arabic. Khassan says his favorite memory is of Dokka
peeling a plum while seated with Havaa, both of them by the chess set.

Analysis
Alu's brother is an interesting character though he really doesn't play a huge role in the
story. Sonja treats Alu and this connects her to Alu's brother. Alu's brother says he has
several other brothers, and that Alu is the least favorite of them. But, because Sonja
saves Alu's life, his brother is willing to do a favor for Sonja. She asks for medical
supplies. Alu's brother then says Sonja can have another favor and she asks why she's
getting two. He tells her a story of his childhood. He had a pet turtle and forgot to feed it
before leaving for several days. He says Alu is not very smart but it somehow occurred
to him that he should feed his brother's pet turtle. Alu's brother says that, because of
that action by his brother, he's giving Sonja another favor. The man is very wealthy
through his black market connections but apparently not very intelligent.
There are several references to American culture throughout the book and some of
these are somewhat humorous. One of these references is seen when Sonja is dealing
with Alu's brother. She requests several books on mental health. Alu's brother says he
has a relative in America who is ordering them from Amazon. Sonja asks him to explain
Amazon and Alu's brother says he doesn't know what it is, but that this relative can
produce items from ether through Amazon. He then laments that Amazon, whatever
that is, is going to put him out of business.
The fact that Akhmed is an incapable doctor is reiterated throughout the book. Sonja
literally holds his hands and forces him to begin the process of sawing through the bone
on his first amputation. Akhmed knows that she did it because she wanted to force him
to face the fact that he would rather let the man die than to perform the amputation. This
lack of ability is seen throughout the story and is a driving force for several of the
scenes in the book.
When Akhmed and Khassan meet in the woods as Khassan is burning his manuscript,
Khassan says he wants to disappear. This has several possible meanings. Ramzan
informs on people and they disappear when they are arrested. Most are never seen
again. It might be that Khassan is simply tired of being the father of the town's
informant, and that he's so upset by the situation that he wishes he could be arrested
and killed like so many others. Khassan mentions that pride is a sin and he may be
referring to the pride of having such an impressive manuscript. He's old and probably
doesn't have a lot longer to live, which may mean he is looking toward his final judgment
in death. As it turns out, Akhmed helps him disappear, though not in either of these
ways. Akhmed will later provide Khassan with two letters instructing that he should have
safe passage through rebel territory, enabling him to pack up and leave the village.
Khassan will take advantage of those letters and will leave.

16

The chess set is not described in great detail yet but it will later be explained that Dokka
loves chess and is very good at it. Havaa loves the days when Dokka and his friends
gather to play.

Discussion Question 1
Why do you believe Khassan burns his manuscript and begins writing another of his
memories of Dokka?

Discussion Question 2
Compare Akhmed and Sonja.

Discussion Question 3
Why do you believe Sonja leaves without listening to more of Natasha's conversation
with their neighbor?

Vocabulary
repatriated, decadence, clairvoyance, prurient, manipulation, reductive

17

Chapters 10-11
Summary
The section titled The Third Day begins with Chapter 10. This chapter ranges from
2000 to 2003. Dokka began opening his house to refugees fleeing the country and word
quickly spread that his house served as a hostel. He gave food and a place to sleep to
anyone but asked that they paid if they were able. Dokka took things of real value as
payment and gave the trinkets to Havaa, which she kept as souvenirs.
On alternating Sunday afternoons, Akhmed and Ramzan arrived at Dokka's for a game
of chess. Havaa felt more like a younger sister of the three men than a daughter and
young child. Dokka was an excellent chess player. Akhmed and Ramzan played as a
team and consulted each other about upcoming moves. Dokka read while they figured
out their moves. Havaa watched.
Akhmed hated being a doctor but continued to do his duty when he could. One day,
rebels arrived in the village and there were some in need of medical attention. One of
them was a commander who had stitches in his chest. Akhmed was amazed to discover
the neat stitches were dental floss and the commander described Sonja's skill. Later,
Ramzan and Dokka talked to the commander who put them in touch with a man looking
for someone to transport guns.
A few days later, Havaa and her parents hid as fighting took place in the village. When
the fighting was over, several were dead or seriously wounded. Akhmed was horrified at
the need for medical attention and wished he could transport them to the hospital, but
knew it was not possible. One of the wounded was a 13-year-old boy named Akim.
Akhmed's fingers were too large to repair an artery in Akim's leg. He recruited Havaa to
help and she reluctantly did as instructed. Akim died a few hours later but Akhmed said
she gave him a few vital hours to come to peace with his impending death. Havaa didn't
know how he could have come to peace with anything because he was crying in pain.
After the crisis was over, Akim drew the faces of all 41 of those who died or were
arrested. He placed the boards all over the village but put Akim's in a wooded area
where Havaa would find it.
After that, Ramzan and Dokka left in Ramzan's red pickup one day each month and
returned a week later. Dokka's wife, Esiila, wasn't happy about the arrangement and
predicted a bad end, but Dokka persisted. While Dokka was gone on what would be his
final trip, Ula became ill. Akhmed tried everything to help her and finally spent several
nights at Havaa's house, thinking it would force Ula to get out of bed and take care of
herself. She didn't and the situation at Havaa's house was somewhat uncomfortable
after one particular night together though Havaa didn't really know why. Havaa and her
mother stopped speaking over the situation even though Havaa couldn't name what
happened.
18

Dokka didn't return on the normal day and eight more days passed before he arrived
with Ramzan. Dokka's fingers had been cut off and Akhmed rushed over with his
doctor's bag as soon as Dokka was out of the truck. There wasn't enough skin for
Akhmed to close the stumps of Dokka's fingers, so he had to cauterize them.
One day, Dokka took Havaa to Ramzan's house. Dokka said he wanted a gun and that
he wanted Ramzan to teach Havaa how to shoot. He said he wanted to protect his
family but couldn't even pull a trigger himself.
Chapter 11 returns to 2004. Sonja and Akhmed are traveling to Grozny. They talk kindly
to each other at first but then Akhmed says that Sonja should be nicer to people. Sonja
says Akhmed is a poor doctor, which gives her the right to be harsh with him. He
counters that he has a level of decency that she doesn't have, which gives him the right
to question her. The argument continues and Akhmed says he's sorry that Sonja has
something broken inside her. Sonja says she has amputated 1,643 legs. She says
Akhmed has amputated 3, and that he doesn't have the ability or the right to diagnose
her. When she looks directly at him, Akhmed can see that her pupils are dilated. He
stops trying to reason with her.
They go through military checkpoints and finally reach Grozny. They see children who
are living in the ruins, selling metal, wire, and bricks to the Russians. They arrive at the
warehouse where Sonja is supposed to pick up her supplies. There are well-armed men
around the area and Alu's brother. One of the guards aims a gun at Akhmed and Sonja
says he has lied to her. She wants to know if Akhmed is an informant. She says no one
knows her full name and that he used it when he arrived at the hospital. Akhmed tells
about seeing the rebel with the dental floss stitches and later meeting a refugee at
Dokka's house. Sonja asks if the woman's name was Natasha.

Analysis
It seems likely that Esiila and Akhmed had at least a brief affair while Dokka was away
with Ramzan and Akhmed was trying to force Ula into getting out of bed. The
perspective at this point is focused on Havaa and the details are not revealed, but she
sensed that something changed between Akhmed and Esiila. Ula's illness is never
detailed but it seems she might be suffering from some sort of dementia brought on by
the fighting in the village.
Sonja and Akhmed seem almost happy on their way to Grozny. Akhmed asks if Sonja
worries about landmines and she says there is a steel plate under the driver's seat,
prompting Akhmed to ask if it extends to the passenger's seat. They also talk about the
pros of specific radio stations though there are no stable transmissions. Sonja prefers
one spot on the dial, saying it sounds exactly like static is supposed to sound.
Akhmed is proud that he has retained some common decency in the face of the
situation. He believes that Sonja should try to stop being so harsh with everyone and try
to exhibit a level of compassion. Akhmed may not be realistic on this point. Sonja has
19

single-handedly held the hospital together for a long time and she has really pushed
herself farther than what most people could endure. Akhmed hasn't really had the same
level of loss, even though he's dealt with the loss of friends and Ula's failing health.
When Sonja asks Akhmed why he lied, he immediately believes she's talking about his
claim that he was in the top ten percent of his class at medical school. He confesses
that he was in the bottom four percent which confuses Sonja for a moment. She then
presses him, asking how he knew her full name when he first arrived at the hospital.
Alu's brother speaks up, saying Sonja won't even tell him that information. Sonja
believes this indicates that Akhmed is a spy of some sort. When Akhmed reveals how
he really knew about Sonja, she asks for the identity of the woman Akhmed had met at
Dokka's house. The chapter ends on that note, a literary device to keep the reader
guessing about what's to come. It will later be revealed that the woman was Natasha.

Discussion Question 1
Who is Akim and why is he important to Havaa?

Discussion Question 2
Do you believe Akhmed is realistic when he says Sonja should try to be nicer to people?

Discussion Question 3
Why does Sonja question Akhmed at gunpoint. Are her fears founded?

Vocabulary
hostel, gratuities, exploited, reiterating, calamity, nihilists, reminisced, tomes

20

Chapters 12-14
Summary
Chapter 12 reverts to 1994. Natasha was four years younger than Sonja. She was
prettier and everyone loved her. Sonja was studious but Natasha was obviously going to
become a very beautiful woman. It was said that everyone seemed to be waiting for
Natasha to grow up, unsure what to do with her until that happened. Natasha
recognizes Sonja's intellect but also recognizes that Sonja is socially inept.
When Natasha was a young adult, she moved in with a boyfriend and had an interesting
job where she became well-versed on pipelines and oil. Their mother died of cancer.
Natasha lost her government job and her boyfriend, then Sonja announced she was
going to London to finish her medical training. Natasha was afraid for Sonja to leave.
Sonja later worked as a smuggler for the black market and wound up with many
beautiful clothes as a perk of her work. She was in Grozny when the Russians attacked.
Natasha returned to her parents' now-vacant apartment and lived a lonely and bare
existence.
One day, Natasha read a small book called Origins of Chechen Civilization: Prehistory
to the Fall of the Mongol Empire written by Khassan Geshilov. She and Sonja talked by
phone and Sonja told the details of her life, including her boyfriend. As Natasha's life
became more difficult, they found less to talk about. Natasha didn't want to hear about
Sonja's wonderful life. Natasha began leaving the phone off the hook to avoid Sonja's
calls. She thumbed through one of Sonja's medical books and found that the definition
of life is a constellation of vital phenomena organization, irritability, movement,
growth, reproduction, adaptation. She followed news when she could get it and knew
that the situation in her country was going to get worse. Shortly after she put the phone
back on the hook, it rang, and Sonja said she'd been calling for weeks.
Chapter 13 is set in 2004. Back in the warehouse, Akhmed says he doesn't know what
the woman's name was. He says he met hundreds of refugees and stopped asking their
names. Alu's brother says he doesn't believe Akhmed is an informant. After they leave,
Akhmed asks about Alu's brother. Sonja has learned the man's name is Ruslan, but she
always refers to him as Alu's brother.
Before they leave the city, Sonja stops at an old shopping center where there's a phone
bank set up. She telephones Brendan but he isn't in. She doesn't really have a message
for him, but wants him to know she's still alive.
Chapter 14 is set in 1995. Brendan and Sonja met and fell in love while Natasha was
sleeping in the park because it was safer than being in a building. She struggled to
survive. She encountered a man named Sulim who was in business with both Feds
and rebels, and who even sometimes worked with Alu's brother. Natasha begged Sulim
to help her get out of the country. He had called on her once for help and she denied
21

him, but he still agreed to help her. Sulim told her there were things she could do to earn
her way, including prostitution. Natasha knew that she would eventually be forced into
prostitution for the Russian soldiers, and decided that being paid as a prostitute in
London was the better of her options.
She boarded a vehicle with several other women. They were taken to Serbia.

Analysis
The relationship between Sonja and Natasha is explored briefly in Chapter 12. They
grow up together but weren't very close, partly because of their age difference but
mostly because they liked and wanted different things from life. Natasha recognized
Sonja's superior intellect and admired her for it, but she hated it when Sonja left the
country to study at London. While they were apart, they talked regularly on the phone
and they seemed to become closer during this time. Then their relationship became
strained because of Natasha's situation. She lived in a constant state of hunger. She
had no electricity and few comforts. For awhile, she slept in the park because there was
a danger that apartment buildings might be bombed. It's during this time that Natasha
no longer wanted to hear details about Sonja's life, such as an outing where she ate
scones. And Natasha realized that Sonja didn't want to hear about Natasha's hardships
because then Sonja would feel guilty about her own life, including the simple pleasures
such as eating scones. It may be that the guilt was the reason Sonja returned after
Natasha's disappearance.
Natasha's life was difficult during the war and she knew that she'd probably going to end
up dead or tortured. She was very pretty, which was a negative as lonely soldiers fight
in the city. At one point, she wished she was ugly, thinking that would save her from at
least some of the horrors that likely awaited her.
Natasha's relationship with Sulim is described in an earlier chapter. They were
romantically involved for a time but broke up when it became clear that Natasha was
nothing more to Sulim than a mistress. At one point, he came to her for help but, afraid,
she and turned him away. This may be the reason she wound up in such a serious
situation after he helped her escape the city. She asked him to help her get to London,
believing she'd be safe there, and he agreed. He didn't follow through, however, and
instead sent her to Serbia, which it is later revealed that she became a prostitute there.
She was tortured and barely escaped with her life.

Discussion Question 1
Describe the relationship between Sonja and Natasha during their early years. Does it
seem typical of sisters?

22

Discussion Question 2
How does the relationship between Natasha and Sonja change over the course of their
lives, especially while Sonja is in London? Why does it change?

Discussion Question 3
Why do you believe Sonja calls Brendan just to let him know she's alive?

Vocabulary
reciprocated, echelons, obsequious magnanimity, roiling, florid, stalwart, matriculated,
dispensations

23

Chapters 15-17
Summary
Chapter 15 is set in 2004. Akhmed and Sonja are continuing their journey to the
hospital. Sonja apologizes for interrogating Akhmed at gunpoint. He understands. He
talks to her honestly about his jealousy of Dokka. He says Ramzan didn't really need
Dokka's help running guns, but believes Ramzan took Dokka so that Akkmed was
excluded from that part of their lives.
In Chapter 16, set in 1996, Natasha stayed at her apartment in the weeks after her
return. Sonja was living there as well and tried to diagnose her sister. She suggested
Natasha had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Natasha shrugged off Sonja's attempts to
help, saying only that she endured the time in captivity and that Sonja didn't have the
right to tell her what to do now. Sonja countered, saying she had given up her life in
London to return to Natasha, and that meant Natasha owed her respect. Natasha said
Sonja made a mistake by returning, just as Natasha made a mistake by trying to leave.
Sonja gave Natasha a Buckingham Palace Nutcracker. She then asked Natasha to join
her at the hospital the following day and Natasha reluctantly agreed. Sonja showed
Natasha around the hospital, ending at the maternity ward. A new mother drew Natasha
out, getting her to hold the newborn baby. Natasha was moved by the experience.
Deshi was a nurse at the hospital along with her twin sister, Maali. Maali was younger
by 18 minutes and Natasha became close to Maali, more so than Deshi. Natasha began
going to the hospital everyday and was soon working a lot in maternity. One day,
Natasha drew a mural on the boards covering a particular window. Deshi and Maali
criticized it, saying it wasn't accurate. Under their guidance, Natasha redrew it with their
help.
One day, Sonja was tied up helping trauma victims when a woman arrived in labor.
Natasha delivered the baby and learned that her name was to be Havaa. There were
two men with Esiila when she delivered, though that wasn't the custom. One of them
was Dokka and the other was Khassan. Natasha recognized his name and said she'd
read his book.
Chapter 17 is set in 2003 and 2004. Esiila wore baggy clothes that kept her next
pregnancy secret. Havaa knew where Akim's portrait was and went there often. She
found a scarecrow body and connected it to the portrait. Esiila had complications with
her labor and died at a checkpoint on the way to the hospital. In the present, Havaa
doesn't feel guilt for her mother's death but does for her father's.

24

Analysis
In Chapter 15, Akhmed describes being jealous of Dokka. He says he wanted Dokka's
opportunities, his family, and his life. This seems odd because Akhmed had the
opportunity to attend medical school, meaning he could have been an important person
if he had applied himself. It seems that Akhmed is jealous that Dokka has a wife who
continues to function as a wife and that Dokka has a child. Akhmed lacks those things.
It's left to the reader to decide what this says about Akhmed's character.
The connection between Natasha and Havaa is first seen in this section. Natasha was
alone in the maternity ward when Havaa was born. The birth scene is described and
Natasha had a few anxious moments, worrying if Havaa would be alright, but then she
breathed normally and it was clear that she was healthy.
Khassan's presence in the delivery room when Havaa was born is never explained. This
seems another example of how close the families were before Ramzan became an
informant. It could have been that Khassan was the only one in the village with a truck,
but it seems likely that he would have waited outside the room, if that had been the
case.
When Sonja returned home from London, she gave Natasha a nutcracker crafted to
look like the guards at Buckingham Palace. Sonja didn't buy the nutcracker as a gift for
Natasha and gave it to her only as an afterthought. It must have been important to
Sonja for her to bring it back from London. She talked about visiting Buckingham Palace
and that the guards were perfectly still, regardless of the antics of the tourists. It could
be that the nutcracker reminded her of that happier time of her life. The nutcracker's true
importance is revealed later. Dokka asked refugees who stay at his house to give
something as payment and Natasha gave Havaa the nutcracker. It's such a specific item
that Sonja would realize that Havaa had spent some time with Natasha, and that may
be at least part of the reason she took responsibility for Havaa for the rest of her life.
Esiila tried to keep her second pregnancy hidden by wearing baggy clothes. It may be
that Akhmed was the father, but that possibility is never explored. Havaa tried to talk to
her mother as they are putting her in the truck for the trip to the hospital, but she wasn't
allowed. She always looks back at those moments with regret, knowing they were her
final chance to say good-bye. This is yet another example of loss, a theme seen
repeatedly throughout the book.
There's an important distinction in Havaa's mind between the loss of her mother and the
loss of her father. She doesn't feel any responsibility for her mother's death, therefore
doesn't feel any guilt. However, she has learned to shoot and believes she should have
tried to save her father's life. She didn't argue when he told her to run but she now feels
that she should have. The author includes another tease at the end of this chapter,
saying that the gun isn't in the drawer where it had been kept, and that it hadn't been
there for some time. It's later revealed that Dokka gave the gun to Natasha, and that will
become an important aspect of the story.
25

Discussion Question 1
How does Havaa's mother die and how does she feel about the deaths of her parents?

Discussion Question 2
Describe Havaa's birth. Why do you think Khassan and Dokka remain in the delivery
room in direct conflict to the customs of this time and place?

Discussion Question 3
What is the significance of the nutcracker?

Vocabulary
permutations, petulant, opined, supine, convoluted, burrowed, recipient, essential

26

Chapters 18-21
Summary
Chapter 18 is set in 2003 and 2004. Ramzan struggled to survive in the year prior to
Dokka's arrest. He always managed to get insulin for his father. He eventually made
contact with a sheik who hired Ramzan to carry supplies. He sometimes had to carry
supplies on foot and he took Dokka with him, but never Akhmed. One day, he and
Dokka encountered and unexpected checkpoint. There were guns in the truck and they
were arrested.
The were taken to the Landfill. It had literally been a landfill but two huge pits, Pit A and
Pit B, were used for housing prisoners. Dokka and Ramzan were held separately. When
Ramzan was called out of the pit, he tried to give information to avoid torture, but was
tortured anyway. When the torture finally stopped, he became an informant and was
released. He asked for Dokka. Ramzan had some money and paid for Dokka's release.
He didn't have the full amount, so Dokka was returned with all his fingers missing.
The scene reverts to just prior to Dokka's disappearance. A military commander said a
specific pistol was used to kill a military officer and that the pistol had once been in
Ramzan's possession. Ramzan says he'd given the gun to Dokka and revealed that he
had taught Havaa to shoot the gun because of Dokka's missing fingers. Ramzan then
went to visit Dokka. He admitted to himself that he was saying good-bye, though he
didn't say that to Dokka.
Chapter 19 is set in 2004. Akhmed and Sonja arrive at the hospital. Akhmed and
Mohmad, the one-armed guard, argue. The guard asks if he can shoot Akhmed but
Sonja says she needs him because he has two arms to help unload the supplies. Later,
Sonja and Akhmed talk about their lives. Sonja says Natasha was complex, indicating
she doesn't have any hope that Natasha will return. She asks Akhmed if he would love
Havaa as much if he had children of his own. He says he isn't sure but he knows she's
a part of his family now.
They see the mural Natasha drew and Akhmed tells about the 41 portraits he drew in
his village. Sonja asks Akhmed to draw the woman who told him Sonja's full name.
Akhmed can't really remember her and Sonja has to provide details to get the portrait
correct.
Chapter 20 reverts to 1995 and 1996. Natasha was sold to a brothel and drugged on
heroin. She was under the control of a pimp named Sergey. All the women are called
Natasha, even when that's not their names.
In Chapter 21, set in 2004, Khassan hopes to encounter Akhmed the following morning.
He finds Akhmed's footprints. Khassan and his dogs walk all over them, disguising the
trail. He then goes to visit Ula and washes her hair. He describes Mizra's arranged
27

marriage and their affair that ended when she became pregnant. Khassan talks about
his relationship with Akhmed, as a sort of an uncle. He compares that to his relationship
with Ramzan and says he was better to Akhmed than to his other son.
Back at home, Khassan speaks to Ramzan, condemning him for the people he's had
arrested. Ramzan is happy to hear his father talk to him, even in condemnation.
Khassan is soon on the defensive. He then says he's sorry that Ramzan will never have
the opportunity to become a husband and father. Khassan says he is 79 and that his life
is worth less than the lives of Dokka or Havaa. Ramzan says he's turned in his friends
and neighbors because Khassan is his only family, and that's important. Ramzan says
he's always known Khassan wants Akhmed to be his true son. Khassan says Ramzan
will turn someone in, then be forced to turn in more names. Khassan then leaves the
house.

Analysis
Ramzan seems to be a traitor and the reader may find it impossible to like him.
However, it's important to realize that Ramzan is a victim of the war, just as many of the
other characters are also victims. Ramzan was arrested prior to his capture in 2003
when he was with Dokka. In that first arrest, he was brutally tortured and castrated.
Despite this, he continued to refuse to become an informant. His refusal was the only
reason he was allowed to live. The soldiers torturing him were amazed that he didn't
promise them anything they asked. The soldiers got others to watch, and they were also
amazed. In the end, Ramzan was returned to his home and allowed to live. With the
memory of that torture, it's easier to understand why Ramzan was not able to go
through it a second time. He tried to turn himself in as an informant before the torture
even began, but the soldiers still tortured him before they allowed him to give in.
Ramzan and Khassan have become strangers who don't speak to each other, which is
tearing both of them apart. Ramzan is desperate for his father's forgiveness, especially
since he has almost no friends by this point. Few people will talk to him for fear that he
will pass on some piece of information that will get them killed. Ramzan does continue
to talk to Dokka, but that may be because Ramzan feels remorse for Dokka's arrest and
the loss of his fingers. Ramzan cuts firewood for Dokka and may very well take care of
other tasks for him.
With this information, it seems strange that Ramzan would turn Dokka in for having had
possession of the gun. However, Khassan likes Dokka and Akhmed. This plays a big
role in Ramzan's decision to tell the military officer that Dokka had been the last to have
possession of the gun.
It seems odd that the gun is so easily traced. The military officer has the serial number
but there are lots of guns in this time and place and it doesn't really seem reasonable
that Ramzan would have kept a record of the guns. It's not until much later that the
details of the gun and how it was used are revealed.

28

Ramzan could have given the military false information about the ownership of the gun
and the military would apparently believe whatever information he gives. He notes that
this is the first time he's been truthful when giving information, meaning he has sent
innocent people to their deaths over the two years that he has been working for the
military.
It's clear by this point that no one knows that Ramzan has been castrated other than
Akhmed, who helped ensure the wound healed, and Khassan. This is an important
aspect of Ramzan's character. People of the village wonder why he has never taken a
wife and started a family of his own. They also wonder why he still lives with his father
rather than being out on his own. Ramzan hates the gossip, which includes the idea that
he might not be interested in women. This might explain, at least to a degree, why
Ramzan has invited Dokka to participate in his smuggling runs instead of Akhmed.
Akhmed knows this detail about Ramzan, meaning their relationship is now different.
Sonja asks Akhmed to draw the woman who told him Sonja's full name. He agrees but
it's obvious from the beginning that he can't really remember the woman's features. It is
Natasha, but neither of them are really certain of that. As Akhmed draws, Sonja helps
him get the portrait correct. She gently corrects him when he draws features that aren't
right and she reassures herself that she's helping him remember, but she's actually just
directing him. Sonja needs to know what happened to Natasha and she will grasp onto
anything that gives her hope of the truth. Later, she starts to show the portrait to Havaa,
hoping that Havaa can identify Natasha. Sonja admits to herself that there's a part of
her that just doesn't want to know. This is all part of the many losses experienced by the
characters, which is a theme seen in the story.
There's an interesting statement in Chapter 20 when all the women were called
Natasha. This was simply a common name for women of this ethnicity and indicates
that they were all considered to be expendable and interchangeable.
Khassan's decision to speak to Ramzan is significant. Khassan hasn't spoken to
Ramzan in almost two years. He only does so now in an attempt to appeal to Ramzan's
sense of honor, asking him not to turn in Akhmed or Havaa. Ramzan responds that he is
doing it to protect Khassan, which is only partly true. Their lives are luxurious compared
to most and Ramzan is able to get the insulin that keeps Khassan alive only because he
is working as an informant. Ramzan is also afraid for himself.

Discussion Question 1
Why does Ramzan become an informant?

Discussion Question 2
Describe the relationship between Ramzan and Khassan.

29

Discussion Question 3
Why might Ramzan feel guilty about Dokka's fingers?

Vocabulary
infidel, metastasized, crucible, ancillary, viscosity, spatial, pristine, basked, concavity,
remonstration, totalitarianism

30

Chapters 22-23
Summary
Chapter 22 is set in 2004. Khassan catches up with Akhmed and says he tried to
convince Ramzan to forget about Havaa. Akhmed knows that speaking to Ramzan at all
is an important step for Khassan, and he's moved by the gesture. Akhmed knows this
means that he'll be arrested because he won't tell Ramzan Havaa's location. He also
knows that means there won't be any connection between the village and Havaa, which
will make her safer. Khassan says he's considered killing Ramzan and asks Akhmed if
he should. Akhmed promises to think about it and to tell Khassan his answer later.
Khassan gives Akhmed an envelope. He says there is a letter inside that contains
information about Dokka. He believes Havaa might want to know these details about
her father someday.
At home, Ula talks about another visit from Akhmed's father. Akhmed takes this to mean
that she is still deteriorating. He has a needle and a vial of heroin he took from the
hospital, and he places it in a cigar box under the bed.
At the hospital, Sonja allows Havaa to ask questions. Havaa asks who Sonja bribed to
gain entrance into medical school and Sonja says she simply studied hard and got in on
her own. Sonja tells Havaa that her life will be different as an adult and that she can
become anything she wants.
Havaa then allows Sonja to ask some questions. Sonja asks if she remembers a girl
named Natasha. Havaa says she remembers lots of girls named Natasha. Sonja goes
to retrieve the portrait drawn by Akhmed but Havaa is asleep before she returns.
Chapter 23 is set in 2001. Natasha recalled the day at the hospital when the security
guard rushed through the hospital shouting that the rebels had arrived. This was prior to
the one-armed security guard and the guard never returned to his position at the
hospital. The rebels came in, demanding medical help. The commander insisted that all
his men be treated ahead of him. Sonja amputated the arm of one of the men and that
man would become the security guard for the coming years.
By the time Sonja treated the officer, she was out of some of her supplies, including
thread for stitching. He had a huge gash on his chest and she wound up sewing it
closed with dental floss. The rebels stayed only long enough to regroup. Everyone
prepared to move on but they were leaving behind the amputee. The commander told
him that he was relieved of duty and pointed out that the hospital was in need of a new
security guard.
Six days later, the Federal army arrived. They knew the rebels hid out in the hospital for
a time and the Feds bombs one side of the hospital, prompting the collapse of a section.
Maali was in that section at the time of the blast. Natasha rushed to get a syringe of
31

heroin but Maali died before Natasha could finish the injection. Natasha injected the
remainder of the drug between her own toes.

Analysis
When Khassan intercepts Akhmed going home in Chapter 22, he reveals that he has
tried to convince Ramzan not to tell the military of Akhmed's role in Havaa's
disappearance. This is important on several levels. Akhmed doesn't know that Khassan
is really his biological father. He just knows that Khassan has always been there for his
family, even to the point of purchasing the burial shroud for Akhmed's mother. Another
important aspect is that Akhmed now knows that he will be arrested, and that it's only a
matter of time. Finally, there's the question that Khassan poses, asking Akhmed if he
should kill Ramzan to stop him from informing. By not killing Akhmed, Khassan is
essentially allowing the murder of his other son, though no one knows of the biological
connection.
Natasha and Maali became close during their time at the hospital. Maali was Deshi's
twin sister but was younger by just a few minutes. The relationship between Maali and
Deshi was somewhat strained because Maali always felt like the younger sister who
was trying to catch up with Deshi. Natasha felt the same and this created a connection
between Natasha and Maali that might not otherwise exist. Natasha was never as close
to Deshi.
Maali was not a major character but she was somewhat humorous and interesting. Her
response to everything was to suggest amputation, and this provided a release from the
stress that keeps everyone constantly on edge. At one point, there was even a lengthy
discussion about amputation that went so far as to consider amputating someone's
head.
The people of this time and place accept violence and destruction as a fact of life. Sonja
talks about the bombing of the hospital. She says it wasn't an act of war, but was
retribution because some of the rebels had sought medical help there. She doesn't
seem particularly angry about it at all. This is one of the many effects of war, a theme
seen throughout the story.

Discussion Question 1
Describe the new information about the relationship between Akhmed and Khassan.

Discussion Question 2
Why does Khassan consider killing Ramzan? Do you think he should?

32

Discussion Question 3
Describe Maali, Deshi, and Natasha, and their relationships with each other.

Vocabulary
arbitrarily, monochromatic, insufferable, sequestered, exasperated, vociferously

33

Chapters 24-26
Summary
The final section is titled The Fourth and Fifth Days. Chapter 24 is set in 2004.
Akhmed forgets to pick up the letter for Havaa. Havaa is elated when he arrives at the
hospital. They don't talk about the fact that he might be arrested at any point, just as
Dokka was, but they both know it's true.
Akhmed gives Sonja a book titled Hadji Murad. They talked about the book in the past
and Sonja immediately flips to the back page. She says she never reads a book unless
she knows it has an ending she'll like. She says the character of this book gets
decapitated at the end, so she won't read it.
Akhmed, Havaa, and Deshi go to the weekly aid distribution so Sonja is at the hospital
alone when a man arrives with a tailpipe lodged in his chest. Sonja can't do anything
for him but talks to him, asking if he can see his sister wherever he is now. Akhmed
finds her talking to the corpse and insists she rest. She says she can't but he gives her
a medical dictionary, saying that will put her right to sleep. Sonja is surprised to find the
definition of life circled in red. She leaves the room but passes out.
When she wakes, she goes downstairs and has a cigarette. Akhmed joins her a short
time later and tells her she looks better after her rest. They banter a bit and that turns
into flirting. After a short while, Sonja says she's going to the fourth floor, and says that
Akhmed should wait a half hour before joining her there. He does and they have sex.
They are both amazed that they can be silly with each other because that takes a level
of trust they don't usually experience. As he is leaving that night, Sonja says goodnight,
and points out that Akhmed has an ugly nose.
Ramzan is waiting when he gets home. Akhmed again refuses to say anything though
Ramzan hints that Akhmed and his wife could be in danger. Ramzan says Akhmed
doesn't owe Dokka this level of loyalty. Akhmed knows he will die before he tells anyone
where Havaa is, but he worries that he won't be able to stand up to torture without
talking.
Ramzan says Akhmed is one of only two people who really knows what happened to
Ramzan during his first arrest. He says he has been a joke to the people of this village
who gossiped about him because he never married. He points out that these were the
very people he sacrificed so much to save, and that they didn't appreciate it. He begs
Akhmed to say he understands. Akhmed pushes him. Standing there, Akhmed
understands Khassan's inability to actually kill Ramzan. Akhmed now knows the
situation is not nearly as simple as he'd first imagined.
That evening, Akhmed carefully washes Ula and is very tender with her. He then waits
until he hears the trucks arrive before giving her a fatal dose of morphine. He has found
34

the letter to Havaa and he hides it in the only place he can think of under Ula's body.
He also places an envelope there with the letter K and Khassan's address. He prays
for Havaa as he's being arrested but as the soldiers begin beating him, he prays for
himself.
Chapter 25 is set in 2003. Natasha had feigned illness that morning so that she wouldn't
have to go to the hospital with Sonja. She had been using morphine for months by that
point. When she shot up one night, she promised she'd leave the next day, and she did.
She considered leaving Sonja a note but couldn't imagine anything she could say.
She stopped at Dokka's house in Eldar and he immediately recognized her as the
woman who delivered Havaa. He welcomed her and pleaded with her to stay rather
than face the dangers of traveling. She did stay awhile. She and Havaa got to know
each other. When Natasha insisted it was time for her to leave, Dokka gave her the
Makarov pistol. He said it was impossible for him to put Havaa in the position of trying to
defend them and pointed out that he couldn't pull the trigger. Natasha reluctantly
accepted the pistol.
Natasha managed to avoid most of the soldiers but reached a front-line check and was
forced to stop. One of the officers took her into a wooded area, saying she needed to
sign some paper. No one expected her to have a gun so she still had it as she went into
the woods. When the officer instructed her to undress, Natasha made a decision. She
shot and killed the officer and other soldiers quickly rushed to the sound. They shot and
killed Natasha in retaliation.
In Chapter 26, Akhmed doesn't arrive at the hospital the morning after his arrest. Sonja
knows his address and finally decides to go to his house. She finds signs of a struggle
at his home and Ula's body. Sonja works for hours to clean up the house, putting the
books back on the shelves and clearing away the glass. She then dresses Ula and
discovers the envelopes.
She opens the larger envelop and finds the letter from Khassan to Havaa. She
automatically flips to the final page and reads Khassan's account of Havaa's birth. He
describes the mural on the hospital wall, saying Havaa was born within the memory of
a kinder past. He remembers that the nurse present at the delivery was named
Natasha and that she helped Havaa take her first breath. He says both her parents held
her during her first moments of life, and that her father was the first to say that they
were naming the baby Havaa. Khassan then writes that Dokka held Havaa on the
morning of her birth and that he held onto her as he was arrested.
After she finishes, Sonja realizes that her sister delivered Havaa and she feels a drive to
keep Havaa safe, at least partly because of Natasha's role in Havaa's birth. She goes to
the address on the smaller envelop and asks for K. He asks about Ula and Sonja says
she's dead. Khassan accepts the envelop and Sonja leaves without waiting to find out
what's inside.

35

Analysis
Havaa rushes to Akhmed as soon as he arrives at the hospital each morning. She is
thrilled to see that he's returned and knows that he might not come back at any time.
This is an example of the situation of the time and place. Havaa has grown up with this
instability and doesn't really see it as unusual.
At one point, Akhmed is talking to Khassan about Ramzan. Akhmed says he won't tell
Ramzan where Havaa is hiding. Khassan says Ramzan would rather not know. He
explains that Ramzan would rather tell the Feds that Akhmed can give them the
information so that the Feds can force Akhmed to tell. That way, Ramzan can tell
himself that he hasn't directly caused Havaa's death. This is undoubtedly a way
Ramzan is able to deal with his guilt but it's a lie designed to deceive himself.
Sonja knows that she has never marked in the dictionary but she recognizes the red ink
as being the same kind of pen she kept on her nightstand. She seems to understand
that Natasha must have circled the definition but she doesn't voice that thought. This is
an important revelation because it gives Sonja a brief piece of insight into Natasha, but
it's also important because it's the definition of life while Sonja is surrounded by death.
Natasha's death is finally revealed and the reader discovers that her death was a direct
cause for Dokka's arrest. Dokka gave Natasha his pistol because he wanted to help her
be safe. While she died at the hands of the soldiers, she was at least able to protect
herself from being raped. The new commander tracked the pistol back to Ramzan who
gave it to Dokka, and that's why Dokka was arrested. This full circle of events is finally
explained and the casual reader may miss some of the connections.

Discussion Question 1
Why do you think Akhmed and Sonja connect sexually?

Discussion Question 2
How does Sonja learn that Natasha delivered Havaa and how does this change her
attitude about Havaa?

Discussion Question 3
What is Natasha's fate and how is it connected to the arrest of Dokka and then
Akhmed?`

36

Vocabulary
aspersions, subterfuge, orthodoxy, incipient, tethered, malaise, regression, immutable,
penultimate, circumnavigation, corroborating, refutation, appeasement, profligate

37

Chapters 27-29
Summary
In Chapter 27, Akhmed is at home when the Federal soldiers arrive. Khassan watches
from his home, unable to stop what's happening but hating himself for allowing it. He
feels a lack of pride and honor, knowing that Akhmed is on his way to die. He takes a
knife and plans to kill Ramzan.
He sits beside Ramzan, who is in a deep, drugged sleep. Khassan talks about a man
who had felt honor-bound to kill his son. The village shunned the man until he killed his
son but then welcomed him back into their society. The man, however, couldn't live with
the horror of what he'd done. Khassan knows that Ramzan will sleep most of the day
and decides to put off the murder for awhile longer.
He hears a knock and finds Sonja at the door. They talk for only a moment, then
Khassan takes the envelop and Sonja leaves. Inside, Khassan finds two letters
instructing that the bearer should have safe passage. One is from a Federal
commander and the other is from a rebel commander, meaning Khassan should be safe
in almost any situation. There's also a small scrap of paper with Akhmed's handwriting
and the single word - mercy.
He goes to see Ula one last time then returns home where he packs a few essentials
and gets into Ramzan's truck. Khassan doesn't know that he's already suffering from
dementia that will erase his memories in a few years. Ramzan will remain in the village
for three years before moving to a lonely hamlet where he'll live out his life, 57 more
years.
Chapter 28 is set in 2004. Sonja remembers Natasha asking once if she would go back
to London, if that option were open. Sonja says she has tried to figure out the map of
her life that brought her to this point, but that it's all hypothetical. When she gets back to
the hospital, she finds they don't have a single patient. She and Deshi briefly discuss
closing it down but know it's not really an option. With nothing pressing at the hospital,
Sonja finds Havaa. She asks if Havaa's suitcase is still packed. They take it and leave
the hospital.
They arrive at the apartment Sonja shared with Natasha. Havaa is pleased to have a
room of her own. Sonja says Havaa can live there, if she wants. Havaa agrees. She
sets out the souvenirs that she collected from the people who stayed at her house. One
of them is a Buckingham Guard nutcracker. Sonja questions her but Havaa says she
can't remember the woman's name because there were so many refugees. She says
the nutcracker's name is Alu and that he's an idiot. Sonja questions Havaa but she
simply doesn't know where the woman was going and can't give Sonja any of the details
she requests, other than to say she was traveling alone.

38

Years will pass. One day a porter on a train will mistake Sonja for Havaa's mother and
Sonja won't even think that she should correct him. Havaa will go on to college and her
dissertation will be well received. She'll acknowledge the roles of Natasha, Sonja,
Dokka, and Akhmed in her life. She will meet a man and marry. She will live to be 103
and will die in Hospital No. 6, in the room that Sonja had used as a bedroom. They
would never know what happened to Natasha.
In Chapter 29, the men in Pit B at the Landfill are hopeless and helpless. No one wants
to know the names of the other men but one man has no fingers. When a new man
arrives, he helps tend medical needs as best he can. These two men find each other
and embrace, crying out repeatedly that she's safe.

Analysis
Sonja has several letters guaranteeing her safe passage in various places. She keeps
them in the glove box of her truck. Akhmed takes two of them and these are the letters
he gives to Khassan, knowing that Khassan can use them to get away from Eldar and
from Ramzan.
The word mercy indicates that Akhmed is recommending that Khassan have mercy on
Ramzan. It's interesting that Akhmed is so gracious when he knows that he's going to
be arrested and will die because of Ramzan. It's left to the reader to decide why
Akhmed tells Khassan to be merciful to Ramzan. It seems likely that Akhmed is at
peace with his life and his situation, and that he is satisfied with the fact that he played a
role in saving Havaa.
There are indications that Havaa and Sonja live happy lives, though it can be argued
that there isn't a happily ever after considering the horrific events they've endured.
Sonja remains at the hospital after the country begins rebuilding and is accepted as an
important member of the medical team. Havaa is well-educated, married, and
successful in her own right.
The nutcracker is not a unique piece. Having the nutcracker might indicate to Sonja that
Havaa has seen Natasha but it's also possible that the nutcracker didn't come from
Natasha. The fact that Havaa says the nutcracker is named Alu makes it certain that
she got the nutcracker from Natasha. Natasha would have known about Alu from Sonja
and that he was considered an idiot.
The fact that the author includes information about the futures of some of the characters
provides a higher level of hope than would otherwise exist. It seems necessary to avoid
having a story that is merely one of hopelessness and uncertainty.

Discussion Question 1
What does the word mercy mean on the paper from Akhmed, and why do you believe
he wrote it?
39

Discussion Question 2
Why do Dokka and Akhmed embrace and seem happy when they are reunited in Pit B
at the Landfill?

Discussion Question 3
How do you believe the events of 2004 impact the rest of Havaa's life? How might her
life have been different if these events hadn't occurred?

Vocabulary
splayed, contortion, grandiose, collusion, articulated, benefactor, premonition, epitaph,
emaciated, reticence

40

Characters
Akhmed
Akhmed is a man who lives in the small village of Eldar. He is friends with Dokka and he
takes Havaa to safety after Dokka's arrest though it means putting himself in danger.
The next morning, he decides to take her to the hospital where he hopes Sonja will take
care of her. He is a kind man and believes that being decent to others is more important
than anything else. This belief is tested as he briefly becomes a member of Sonja's
staff.
He is a doctor but his first love is art. When he left his village for medical school,
everyone was proud of his achievement. When he snuck out of class to attend art
classes, he felt that he had let down everyone in his village. Despite this feeling of
responsibility, his love of art continued to be an important part of his life. When 41
people went missing from their small village one night, Akhmed drew their portraits and
put them around the town to make sure no one forgot them. He knows that he is a
terrible doctor but holds to the idea that his desire to care for people makes up for his
lack of skill.
Akhmed is married but his wife becomes bed-ridden, leaving him to take care of all their
combined needs. He does so until the night of his arrest. He knows he will be taken and
that his wife, Ula, will not survive alone. With that in mind, Akhmed kills her with an
overdose of heroin.
Akhmed's sole purpose after Dokka's arrest is to save Havaa. He makes the trip to
Volchansk each day until his arrest in order to make sure that Havaa is safe. When he is
arrested, his only real concern is whether he can withstand the torture without revealing
anything about Havaa.

Sophia Andreyevna Rabina

Better known as Sonja, she is the only doctor and surgeon available in Volchansk. She
is Natasha's sister though the two girls are very different. Sonja spent most of her early
years studying while Natasha enjoyed dressing up and being social. Sonja studied hard
and ended up in medical school without having to bribe anyone to get there. She then
earned a place in London, taking her away from her war-torn home.
Sonja was living a good life in London while Natasha remained at home. The war made
conditions horrible for Natasha and Sonja gave up her life in London to return to
Volchansk. Her sole reason for returning was to help Natasha. When Natasha returned
from her time as a captive, Sonja wanted to help her recover. Sonja was frustrated that
she couldn't fix Natasha's problems. Sonja was hurt when Natasha left on her own,
especially considering that she didn't even leave a note. Sonja spends the rest of her
41

life not knowing how Natasha died or that she loved Sonja for giving up her life in
London.
Sonja is critical and analytical. She is the only doctor at Hospital No. 6 for a long time
and she has to become something of a machine when it comes to treating patients. She
has no time to get to know any of her patients and she doesn't care about them on an
emotional level. This is her way of protecting herself from total burnout while she tries to
keep the hospital functioning.

Natasha
Natasha is Sonja's younger sister. She was very beautiful and was envious of Sonja.
When Natasha was young, it was evident that she would going to grow into a beautiful
woman and it seemed that everyone was waiting for that but that there really wasn't
anything for Natasha to do other than wait. This seemed to hurt her a great deal
because she wasn't prepared for the terrible situation she lived in as an adult. She was
captured and forced to become a prostitute, living with horrible cruelty.
She was grateful that Sonja gave up her cushy life in London and knew that Sonja did it
only because they are sisters, but she was never able to tell her so. She eventually
began work at the hospital Sonja ran and delivered many babies, including Havaa. She
was never able to fully kick the heroin habit and she decided to leave the apartment she
shares with Sonja mainly out of remorse. She was shot and killed after killing a military
officer who intended to rape her.

Havaa
Havaa is the daughter of Dokka and she grows up in the small village of Eldar. She is
an intelligent little girl and is wise beyond her years, mainly because of the harsh
conditions in which she lives. She has seen a lot of death and knows that nothing in life
is guaranteed or even truly safe. She hides, as Dokka instructs, while he is being
arrested and goes with Akhmed willingly, though she questions everything. She also
questions Sonja endlessly and it's Sonja's encouragement that makes Havaa realize
she can become a professional rather than a wife and mother.
Havaa grows up to earn her doctorate degree and lives to more than 100 years of age.

Ramzan Geshilov
Ramzan is the son of Khassan and he lives in the village, Eldar. He had a normal
childhood for the area and time, and he had friends among the villagers, including
Dokka and Akhmed. When Ramzan was arrested the first time, he withstood an
incredible level of torture while continuing to resist the attempts to make him into an
informant. Even when he was castrated, he continued to resist. When Ramzan was
42

captured for the second time, he capitulated as quickly as his captors would let him. His
only act of defiance was to beg for Dokka's release.
As an informant, Ramzan is granted necessities that others are denied, including food,
medicine, and electricity. He never feels good about his role and often tries to drown his
guilt in drugs. He hates that people in the village know that he's an informant. He also
hates that people speculate about the reason he never marries. He manages to keep
the level of torture a secret and one of his greatest fears is that his castration might
become public knowledge.

Khassan Geshilov
Khassan is Ramzan's father. He lives in the village, Eldar. He is a scholar and a writer,
and wrote a huge manuscript about the history of his country. One small section of the
book was published but the changing political and social situations meant the rest of his
book never went to press.
His greatest regret in life is that he wasn't a good father to Ramzan. He hates that his
son is an informant and stops talking to Ramzan as a means of punishing them both.
He believes the honorable thing would be to kill Ramzan but can never bring himself to
do it. He accepts the insulin Ramzan gets for him but feeds the majority of the food to
the dogs that have been abandoned in the village.
Khassan is Akhmed's biological father though that fact is never openly revealed to
Akhmed or to the community.

Deshi
Deshi was a nurse at Hospital No. 6 long before Sonja's arrival. She is waspish and
opinionated, but is also highly capable and dedicated. She often reminds Sonja that she
retired from nursing years earlier as a threat but they both seem to know she will never
follow through. She is the older of twins and her sister, Maali, worked at the hospital
until her death.

Maali
Maali was a nurse at Hospital No. 6 until she died in a retaliatory attack on the hospital.
She was Deshi's twin sister, younger by only a few minutes, but had always felt that she
was behind. She wondered what her life might have been if she'd been born first, and
seemed to believe that it would have made a difference. Maali and Natasha connected,
probably at least partly because of their roles as younger sisters of outspoken,
successful women.

43

As a nurse, Maali was constantly recommending amputation, even when it was not
necessary, which became something of a joke at the hospital. It seemed likely that this
was Maali's way of coping with the constant death that surrounded her.

Dokka
Dokka is Havaa's father. He is friends with Ramzan and they were together when
Ramzan was captured with a truck load of weapons. Dokka was released when
Ramzan was released, but his captors cut off all his fingers before allowing him to
leave. Dokka was well-educated and devoted to Havaa. He answered her questions
and encourageed her to think past the typical boundaries of girls of this time and place.
When he is arrested and facing certain death, his only fear is that Havaa might not be
safe. When Akhmed is also arrested, Dokka's main question is whether she is safe.
Learning that she is, Dokka is at peace with his own fate.

Alu's Brother
Alu was treated at the hospital, and Alu's brother was grateful to Sonja for that. Alu's
brother runs a black market business and is wealthy and relatively safe in an area
where no one is really safe. He offered to do something for Sonja as a means of
showing his gratitude and she asked him for medical supplies. He got them illegally and
also managed to get a huge ice machine for the hospital. When Sonja wonders if
Akhmed is an informant, Alu's brother helps threaten Akhmed in an effort to find the
truth.
Alu's brother is somewhat dismissive of Alu, saying Alu is his least favorite brother. He
describes a time when he forgot to feed his pet turtle and Alu thought to feed the turtle.
He says that's the only reason he likes Alu enough to do any favors for Sonja.

44

Symbols and Symbolism

The Blue Suitcase
This is the small suitcase that Havaa has packed as her just-in-case bag. She grabs it
the night Dokka is arrested. The suitcase and it's contents are all Havaa has left after
the Feds burn down her house.

Havaa's Souvenirs
These are things Havaa carries in her blue suitcase. They are items given to her by the
various people who have stayed at her home on their way out of the country. The
nutcracker Sonja gave to Natasha is among these souvenirs.

The Markarov Pistol

This is a gun that Dokka owned but gave to Natasha. She used it to kill a military officer
who was obviously about to rape her. The gun was then traced back to the village,
Eldar, and to Ramzan, who said it had been in Dokka's possession. This is the reason
Dokka is arrested and the reason the Feds are searching for Havaa.

Dokka's Fingers
Dokka's fingers were cut off after he and Ramzan were arrested and held at the Landfill.
The fingers represent loss because Dokka's family was changed after this. At one point,
Dokka had Havaa learn to shoot a gun because he wanted to find some way to protect
his family in the volatile situation, and he can't pull a trigger without his fingers.

The 41 Villagers
These are 41 people who were killed or arrested in a single night from Akhmed's village.
He painted the portraits of each on a piece of board and put them throughout the village
as sort of a memorial to them.

Origins of Chechen Civilization: Prehistory to the Fall

of the Mongol Empire
This is a small book written by Khassan Geshilov but it is part of a huge manuscript.
The entire book is thousands of pages but there are a million problems with it, including
that the political situation changes so quickly that he can't keep up with it. He eventually

45

burns the manuscript, deciding that he would prefer to die as an unknown than to be
remembered.

Chess
This is a game played by Akhmed, Ramzan, and Dokka a couple of times each month
at Dokka's home. Havaa sees the game as being an important piece of a civilized life.
Her father says hands are an important part of playing chess, which makes Havaa even
more upset that her father loses his fingers.

The Ice Machine

This is a huge contraption that Alu's brother bought for the hospital at Sonja's request. It
had reportedly been used for some famous people through the years, including the
singing group, the Bee Gees. The machine is a symbol for what's missing in the lives of
the people living during this time. Sonja relishes the fact that the hospital has ice and
clean water available.

Ethnic Russians
This group controled the majority of the power when Natasha and Sonja were children.
They, as members of this class, were set apart to some degree. The Russians of this
era in this region were important people but their hold was tenuous. By the time
Natasha was working the black market, the situation had changed dramatically. At one
point, Natasha's friend said that their fellow Russians were dropping bombs on us.

The Mural at the Hospital

The hospital had been damaged by the time Natasha began working there, and some of
the windows were covered with wood. One day, Natasha began drawing a scene on
one of the windows. Deshi and Maali were critical of it, forcing Natasha to redraw it so
that it was a reasonable rendition of what was actually outside that window before the
war. That mural prompted Akhmed to draw the portraits of the 41 villagers who are
taken one night.

46

Settings
Volchansk
This is the city where the hospital is located. It's several miles from the village where
Akhmed lives and there is a great deal of rubble as a result of years of war and unrest.
When Sonja looks out over the city from an upper floor of the hospital, she can see the
ruins of buildings but can still identify many by what's left and others from memory. She
notes a huge office building, a place of worship, a school, a library, a jail, and a store.

Hospital No. 6
This is the hospital where Sonja works and lives. It's apparently the only functioning
hospital left in the city of Volchansk. It was once staffed by 500 people but Sonja, Deshi,
and a guard are the only staff members left by the time Akhmed arrives with Havaa.
There is an incredible mural drawn by Natasha on the wood covering a window in what
was once the maternity ward. On one floor, a bomb blew away a part of the building.
Sonja shows Akhmed this by opening a door that literally leads to open air. A person
who takes a single step through that door would fall several stories.

Pit A and Pit B

These are a huge holes in the ground in an area known as the Landfill where prisoners
are held. Ramzan is held while Dokka is held in Pit A. The prisoners sometimes carve
their names into the walls of the pit. A man who teaches the Qu'ran has the men push
mud into the name as a manner of burial once that person has been taken away. No
one who is questioned ever returns to the pit. When Ramzan is taken from the pit, he's
tortured and turns into an informer for his captors. This is also where Dokka and
Akhmed reunite after their arrests.

Eldar
Eldar is the name of the village where Akhmed and Dokka live out their lives. Eldar is a
small town with no real amenities for the people who live there. Khassan's house is one
of the few in the village with electricity and that's only because Ramzan is an informant.
There are just a few houses and several of those have been destroyed even before
Dokka's arrest. An important aspect of the village is that there are 41 portraits posted
around the town. They were drawn by Akhmed in honor of the 41 people who were
taken one night. Natasha notices the portraits when she arrives in Eldar in 2003.

47

Grozny
Grozny is a larger city where Sonja goes to get medical supplies from the black market.
Grozny is under military rule just as the other parts of the country are at the time of this
story. There is a huge warehouse in this town where Sonja picks up her supplies.
Akhmed has never been to Grozny before his trip there with Sonja and he imagines that
it's a more attractive destination than it really is.

48

Themes and Motifs

Saving Havaa's Life
The entire book is devoted to the people who work to save Havaa's life. Havaa is the
daughter of Dokka. Khassan rusheed Dokka and his wife to the hospital for Havaa's
birth and Khassan talked about the delivery. Though dictates of the day prohibited men
from being present for the birth, both Dokka and Khassan remained for Havaa's birth.
Khassan wrote about those moments after Havaa's birth, including how tenderly her
parents held her.
Natasha served as midwife for Havaa's birth. Havaa was one of dozens of babies she
delivered, but Dokka never forgot Natasha's role. When Natasha showed up at Dokka's
house as a refugee, he immediately recognized her and welcomed her. When Natasha
insisted that she was leaving, Dokka gave her a gun for protection. She asked why he
was giving her the gun and Dokka said he wants to take care of the person who took
care of Havaa in her first moments of life.
When Dokka is arrested, his only concern is that Havaa gets out of the house to hide
before the soldiers enter. Shortly after he leaves, Akhmed rushes to find Havaa. He
takes her inside his own home though the soldiers would arrest him for hiding Havaa.
Akhmed then takes Havaa to the hospital where he hopes that Sonja will take care of
her. Akhmed makes the long walk to the hospital each day to work in return for Havaa's
care. When Akhmed is arrested, he encounters Dokka. The other prisoners note that
the two men seem to know each other and that their only conversation is that she is
safe, indicating Havaa. Both go to their deaths willingly because they know they have
done all they can to protect Havaa.
After Akhmed is arrested, Sonja takes full responsibility for Havaa. She raises her to
adulthood and plays the role of mother. When Havaa writes her dissertation, she credits
the roles of those who took care of her, including, Dokka, Akhmed, Sonja, and Natasha,
indicating that she is fully aware of the sacrifices those people made for her.

The Relationship between Akhmed, Dokka, and

Ramzan
Akhmed, Ramzan, and Dokka were friends when they were young and this lasted until
the war and adult cares tore them apart. The dynamics between these three men drive
some of the action, including the deaths of Dokka and Akhmed. The relationship
between Dokka and Akhmed became strained when they are adults because Akhmed
slept with Dokka's wife while Dokka was away. Dokka knew, but he apparently never
confronted Akhmed about the situation. When Dokka lost his fingers, he often had to
depend on Akhmed for help and this bothered him.

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Ramzan was arrested and held as a prisoner early in the conflict. He stubbornly
refuseed to become an informant though he was beaten and cruelly tortured. His
captors were amazed at his resistance, and that's probably the only reason he was
released. He even continueed to refuse when his captors castrated him. This wound is
horrific and he was dumped in his home village, bleeding and in danger of dying. His
father took him to Akhmed, the only doctor in the area, and Akhmed tended the wound.
This means that Akhmed is the only person, other than Ramzan's father, who knows
that he has been castrated. It strains their adult relationship because Ramzan is
ashamed of his situation.
Dokka and Ramzan are also close friends into adulthood. Ramzan began running guns
and he often took Dokka along, leaving Akhmed behind. This gave Akhmed the
opportunity to sleep with Dokka's wife. This was the reason Dokka was with Ramzan
when he was captured and held at the Landfill. When Ramzan was tortured for a
second time, he quickly tried to become an informant but he was tortured for a long time
before his captors allowed him to capitulate. When Ramzan was released, he begged
for Akhmed's release as well. He had some money but not enough to meet his captors'
demands, which was why Dokka was released only after they cut off all his fingers. This
led to Dokka's dependence on Akhmed.
The final point of this theme is seen as Ramzan turns in Dokka and then Akhmed,
leading to their arrest and their deaths.

Hope for a Better Life

Akhmed grew up in Eldar, the same village he ultimately dies in. He was the first student
of his group to accept some scientific ideas, and this set him apart from his classmates.
Though most of the young people of the village grew old and remained there all their
lives, Akhmed managed to gain entry into medical school. His success was celebrated
by the entire village. However, Akhmed soon realized that he would prefer to become an
artist and he sometimes skipped entire lectures to attend art classes. The important
aspect of this is that Akhmed felt a sense of responsibility toward the people of his
village because he represented the hope each of them has for a better future.
Sonja and Natasha are another example of this theme. Sonja had the intellectual ability
and applied herself rigorously in order to become a doctor. She actually left the country
and lived in London for awhile. When she became worried about Natasha, Sonja
returned to her home, despite the war conditions that exist at that time. Natasha lived
through a horrific ordeal but eventually became a productive member of the hospital
team. She held to the hope that she would be able to go to London and live the
wonderful life Sonja had described. That was the reason Natasha left her home for a
second time, this time voluntarily. She was one of thousands who left their homes in the
hope that their lives would be better in the refugee camps.
This theme is seen again when Havaa watches Sonja. Until meeting Sonja, Havaa had
seen women only hold traditional roles of wives and mothers. She is amazed that Sonja
50

has accomplished so much and she asks if it's possible to reach some of those goals
herself. Sonja assures Havaa that she can become anything she wants to be if she just
applies herself toward those goals. Havaa's goals become a combination of Sonja's and
Dokka's, and both are mentioned in her dissertation.

Maintaining the Hospital

Before the war, Hospital No. 6 was run by some 500 employees who keep the hospital
operational. There were some problems even then, but the hospital seemed to meet at
least the basic medical needs of the people of the city. Once the war truly began, most
of the hospital staff members left. Some left on their own but some were killed or
arrested. The hospital is eventually operating with a skeleton crew of two people and
they are meeting only some of the basic medical needs with very rudimentary
equipment and supplies. Sonja is the only doctor in residence and she is the only
reason the hospital remains operational at all.
Sonja might have given up on the hospital if not for the help of a pair of nurses who
remained on staff. Deshi and Maali are sisters and they worked together until Maali's
was killed during an attack on the hospital. Deshi remains, even though she periodically
reminds Sonja that she retired years earlier. For a long time, Sonja and Deshi keep the
hospital going. When they hear land mines going off, they know to prepare for an influx
of patients. Some days they handle only a few routine medical cases but the majority of
the time, both are overworked. One day, Sonja notes that there isn't anyone in the
hospital and they briefly discuss closing the hospital, but neither is serious.
Sonja goes to great lengths to keep the hospital open. The rich brother of a former
patient offered to get anything she wants. She knews that she could ask for a plane
ticket out of the country and she briefly considered that, but she put the hospital first.
She asked for medical supplies and the man provided it. Sonja has to travel through
dangerous circumstances each month to collect the supplies and she always faces the
temptation to give up and leave, but she continues to keep the hospital operational.
As the story comes to a close, the reader learns that Sonja will remain on staff after the
war and will become a well-respected physician among the fully-staffed hospital.

The Effects of the War

The story is set in a war-torn country where there is a high level of unrest and violence.
People are taken in the middle of the night with little or no cause. Dokka, for example,
was arrested because Ramzan says he was the previous owner of a pistol that was
used to shoot a military officer. Akhmed was arrested because he helped hide Havaa
after her father's arrest.
There is little medical care available and this can apparently be attributed to the war.
Sonja and Deshi know that they'll soon be busy whenever they hear the blast of a mine
detonating. There are so few options for medical care that the victims are always
51

brought to Hospital No. 6 where Sonja is the only doctor available. Sonja is a skilled
doctor but she is limited by the lack of supplies, another effect of the war.
Ramzan's actions are reprehensible but can be traced directly back to the war. He was
tortured brutally during his first arrest which made him ready to do whatever it took to
escape that a second time. He tried to give information even before they began their
torture, and he willingly became an informant because he was so afraid. This changed
the lives of many people, including Havaa, Dokka, and Akhmed. Ramzan's father is also
a casualty of this situation. He is ostracized because Ramzan is an informant and he
stops talking to Ramzan, though the silence obviously hurts them both. Akhmed even
considers killing Ramzan as a means of putting a stop to his informing.

52

Styles
Point of View
The story is written in third person from an omniscient perspective. However, each
chapter is limited in perspective to the characters that appear in that chapter, meaning
the reader knows only what those characters know at that time. For example, Sonja
appears in several of the chapters throughout the book and she is driven by he desire to
know what happened to her sister, Natasha. The reader sees some of Natasha's early
actions but doesn't see her inner thoughts until late in the book when a chapter is
presented from her perspective. It's only then that the reader learns that she died even
before Akhmed took Havaa to Sonja. The reader also learns at that point that Natasha
was connected to Dokka's arrest and is, therefore, the reason Havaa is an orphan who
winds up in Sonja's care. However, Sonja never learns all the details of Natasha's final
days or that she's dead.
The omniscient perspective means the reader knows the inner thoughts of the various
characters. An important example of this is seen in Khassan and Ramzan. Ramzan is
an informant and causes the arrests of several of his neighbors and friends. It seems a
cowardly thing to do and the reader probably doesn't like Ramzan from the early pages
of the book. It's only later, when the reader sees Ramzan's inner thoughts, that he
becomes a more sympathetic character. Ramzan was brutally tortured the first time he
was arrested, and that makes it easier to understand that he did whatever it takes to get
away from his captors after his second arrest.
The perspective is appropriate to the story. There is no way for the perspective to be
more limited without leaving the reader in the dark about specific events and characters.
For example, Sonja never learns the fate of her sister. If the perspective was written
from Sonja's point of view, the reader would also never know what happens to Natasha.

Language and Meaning

The overall tone of the story is one of fear and despair though there is an undercurrent
of hope. Many of the main characters are focused on keeping Havaa alive. She is the
only child seen among the main characters and they all hope that she will have a better
future. Havaa herself changes her outlook to a more hopeful future after seeing that
Sonja is an educated and successful woman.
There are brief sketches of some of the characters' futures and many of these also
provide an element of hope. Most notably are Havaa and Sonja. Havaa grows into an
adult, finishes her doctorate degree, and lives to be more than a hundred years old.
Sonja also lives a long life and is recognized as an important part of the medical staff
even after the hospital is again fully operational. Mohmad, the guard at the hospital,
remains at work for many years to come. It's noted that he doesn't get a single
53

paycheck until after the country and economy are restored. When he gets a check as
back pay, he doesn't cash it but continues to work.
There are also some elements of humor. Maali is constantly suggesting that each
patient should have something amputated. Her insistence that amputation is the cure for
everything is funny and provides some much-needed relief in an otherwise horrific
situation. Deshi is old by the time Akhmed meets her and she is always worried that
every man she meets is trying to seduce her in some way. She fusses at him for every
comment, turning his words so that it sounds as if he actually is being rude. Their banter
is humorous and Sonja laughs at them. There is also a couple of conversations
between Sonja and Akhmed about the leaders of the United States. Akhmed confuses
Ronald Reagan with Ronald McDonald. Later, he asks her who Ronald McDonald really
is and Sonja explains that he's a clown who sells hamburgers. Akhmed says he would
never eat a hamburger cooked by a clown.
The story is written in modern English though the characters didn't speak that as their
primary language. This is obviously meant to bring the story to English-speaking
readers. There are some words, phrases, and ideas that readers may find strange or
unfamiliar. Most unfamiliar words are explained within the context of the story. Some
ideas, such as the fact that Akhmed leaves his bed-ridden wife alone for hours at a time,
seem impossible to fathom considering modern American medical practices. However,
the reader has to remember the setting and situation.

Structure
The story is divided into three sections. They are titled The First and Second Days,
The Third Day, and The Fourth and Fifth Days. Each section is divided into chapters
that are titled by number only. Chapters 1-9 are included in the first section. Chapters
10-23 are in the second section and the final section includes Chapters 24-29. The
chapters vary greatly in length and in content.
There are five main days in the story. On the first day, Akhmed watches while Dokka is
arrested and he then takes Havaa into his own home. On the second day, Akhmed
takes Havaa to the hospital and begs Sonja to take care of her. On the third day,
Akhmed and Sonja travel to Grozny where Sonja has help questioning Akhmed's true
motives. She is trying to make certain he isn't a spy and she leaves convinced that he
isn't. On the fourth day, Akhmed returns to the hospital for his final day. He kills his wife
with an overdose of heroin that night just before he's arrested. On the fifth day, Akhmed
doesn't arrive at the hospital and Sonja makes the decision to move on with her life,
including the acceptance that she's responsible for Havaa.
The story is not presented in chronological order though the five main days of the story
provide a basis for the other events. The majority of the book actually occurs before the
five main days, which are set in 2004. For example, the first chapter of the final section
is Chapter 24. It's set in 2004 with Sonja and Akhmed headed for Gozney to get
supplies. Chapter 25 is set in 2003 and describes Natasha's brief stay with Dokka and
54

her death. There are also brief looks at the future, such as the information that Havaa
goes on to earn a doctorate degree and to live a long life. The time setting for the
chapters is indicated at the top of each chapter where there's a timeline with the year of
this setting highlighted.
There are many run-on sentences that ramble to the point that some readers won't be
able to follow the meaning. One of these occurs in the first chapter of Day 3 and it
consists of more than 500 words. These may be a problem for some readers who may
not be able to fully follow the meaning through the rambles.

55

Quotes
When the soldiers grabbed Dokka by the shoulders and belt, tumbling him into the back
of the truck and slamming his door, the relief falling over Akhmed was quickly peeled
back by self-loathing, because he was alive, safe in his living room, while in the truck
across the street, not twenty meters away, Dokka was a dead man.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1 paragraph 8)
Importance: Akhmed is watching as Dokka is arrested. He is describing survivor's guilt.
Dokka is arrested and never returns.
He was an incompetent doctor but a decent man, he believed, compensating for his
professional limitations with his empathy for the patient, his understanding of pain.
-- Narrator (Chapter 3 paragraph 2)
Importance: This is referring to Dokka and this is a core piece of information about his
character. He knows that he isn't a good doctor but he truly believes that his kind heart
and good intentions make up for at least some of this.
For a quarter century his book hadn't been published because it was too accurate. Not it
wouldn't be published because it wasn't, and couldn't be, accurate enough.
-- Narrator (Chapter 5 paragraph 15)
Importance: This is referring to Khassan's massive manuscript and is an indication of
how the political climate controls all aspects of life in this time and place. He can't satisfy
the publishers because of the governmental control of all aspects of life.
He had left her, just like her father had, and her mother, and she bandaged that wound
with all the stubborn sullenness she could muster, so it would be hidden, well insulated,
and so no one could see how in just three hours she had learned to miss him with the
same incredible longing she reserved for her parents.
-- Narrator (Chapter 6 paragraph 20)
Importance: This is referring to Havaa after Akhmed leaves her at the hospital. She is
worried that he won't return but she's also torn, trying to prepare herself for the time
when he won't come back to her and to insulate herself from caring too much when that
happens.
As the saw teeth caught on bone, she had performed a second surgery, one less bloody
but no less brutal, excising from his heart the impulse to run, to cower, to let the man
bleed to death rather than face the horror of saving him.
-- Narrator (Chapter 8 paragraph 1)
Importance: This is referring to Akhmed after he has amputated his first leg. He is not a
competent doctor and he hates having to perform the harsh medical treatments. He
56

would prefer to deal with patients on a less invasive level but realizes that he has been
changed because of Sonja's insistence that he perform the amputation.
I've amputated one thousand six hundred and forty-three legs. You've done three, and
you think you have the right to diagnose me?
-- Sonja (Chapter 12 paragraph 47)
Importance: Sonja is talking to Akhmed after he says that something inside her is
broken. Akhmed is trying to make Sonja realize that she can choose to react differently
to the world, with more kindness toward the people she encounters. All Sonja can see is
that she has performed these hundreds of amputations and that she's surrounded by
death. She is also dismissive of Akhmed's professional abilities, meaning she doesn't
seem to really respect him as a person. This changes later in the story.
The winter Brendan and Sonja fell in love, all of Volchansk became homeless; even
those like Natasha, whose homes hadn't been hit, found the cold easier to sleep
through than the fear of falling rubble.
-- Narrator (Chapter 14 paragraph 1)
Importance: This is meant to show the vast differences between the lives of the sisters.
Sonja is living in London, is in love and happy. Natasha is sleeping outside for fear her
apartment will be bombed.
I was happy there. But I came back for you and that entitles me to your respect.
-- Sonja (Chapter 6 paragraph 17)
Importance: Sonja is talking to Natasha. She's angry at Natasha but she's also trying to
break through to reach Natasha who has fallen into a deep depression.
She smiled at these two buffoons the one-armed guard threatened to kick Akhmed's
ass with his two working legs and they had to be buffoons, because every hospital
employee with a kopek of common sense had left.
-- Narrator (Chapter 19 paragraph 1)
Importance: This is an example of one of the lighter moments of the story. Akhmed and
Mohmad are arguing and there is good-natured teasing about Mohmad's missing arm
and Akhmed's lack of medical knowledge. The two act like good friends though they've
just me and are united only by their loyalty to Sonja.
It could be the sleeping pills you take to fall asleep among ghosts. It could be Alman, or
Musa, or Omar, or Aslan, or Apti, or Mansur, or Aslan the Hirsute, or Ruslan, or Ami, or
Amir Number Two, or Isa, of Khalid, or even Dokka. Probably Dokka.
-- Khassan (Chapter 21 paragraph 26)
Importance: Khassan is talking to Ramzan for the first time in months and he begins by
saying any of these could be the reason Ramzan is having digestive issues. The people
he lists here are the people who have been arrested on Ramzan's say-so.
57

Then, halfway through the book, at the bottom of the 1,322nd page, circled in red ink:
Life: a constellation of vital phenomena, organization, irritability, movement, grown,
reproduction, adaptation.
-- Narrator (Chapter 24 paragraph 29)
Importance: Sonja has just come across the mark made by Natasha. It's not clear
whether she fully realizes that Natasha circled the words, which would make it a
connection to Natasha. It also could be simply that Sonja suddenly accepts that she is
still alive and that she has more to live for than just waiting for Natasha to return.
She would die at the age of one hundred and three, in the geriatrics ward of Hospital
No. 6, in a room that had been the director's office, then Sonja's bedroom, and finally a
regular hospital room, a room Havaa would remember as many thousands of refugees
remembered her own childhood bedroom, as room that had been there when it was
needed.
-- Narrator (Chapter 28 paragraph 98)
Importance: This is an indication that Havaa lives a long and happy life and that she
remembers being taken in at the hospital when she had no where else to go. There's a
reference here to the many refugees who spent a night or two in Havaa's childhood
bedroom and appreciated that safety just as Havaa appreciated the room at the
hospital. This is also a sign that the sacrifices made so that Havaa could survive were
not in vain.

58