Marra's first novel is a vivid evocation of the heartbreak and resilience of war-torn Chechnya. Unfolding over five days in 2004, with generous flashbacks through the preceding decade, the narrative charts the literal and emotional minefield that is the village of Eldár, a place of missing fathers, missing sisters, and missing limbs. Focusing on eight-year-old Hakaa and the two doctors—the last in the area—who care for her, the story weaves past and present, betrayal and loyalty, for a novel that's as brutally realistic as it is lyrically graceful.This event was filmed at Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 2013.