A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

Reviews

“A flash in the heavens that makes you look up and believe in miracles. . . . Here, in fresh, graceful prose, is a profound story that dares to be as tender as it is ghastly, a story about desperate lives in a remote land that will quickly seem impossibly close and important. . . . I haven’t been so overwhelmed by a novel in years. At the risk of raising your expectations too high, I have to say you simply must read this book.”—Ron Charles, Washington Post

“Over and over again, this is an examination of the ways in which many broken pieces come together to make a new whole. In exquisite imagery, Marra tends carefully to the twisted strands of grace and tragedy. . . . Everything in A Constellation of Vital Phenomena . . . is dignified with a hoping, aching heartbeat.”—Ramona Ausubel, San Francisco Chronicle
 
“Marra is a brisk and able storyteller, and he moves deftly between a number of characters who are drawn into contact by the war. . . . The writing is vivid throughout.”—The New Yorker
 
“Amazing . . . brilliant . . . one of the most accomplished and affecting books I’ve read in a very long time.”—Meg Wolitzer, author of The Interestings, for NPR

“A powerful tale . . . rivals anything Michael Ondaatje has written in its emotional force. . . . There are many reasons to read A Constellation of Vital Phenomena . . . to marvel at the lack of fear in a writer so young. To read a book that can bring tears to your eyes and force laughter from your lungs. . . . But the one I kept returning to, the best reason to read this novel, is that this story reminds us how senseless killing often wrenches kindness through extreme circumstances.”—John Freeman, Boston Globe

“Many people can write beautifully, but few manage to create a whole that is more valuable than the sum of its parts. Marra does this in spades. It is a brilliant book.”—Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of State of Wonder
 
 “The most moving book I’ve read in years . . . A timeless tragedy about the victims of war.”—Washingtonian

“With remarkable pathos and a surprising amount of humor, Marra keeps the focus on the relationships, struggles, and tiny triumphs of an unforgettable group of characters. . . . Marra creates a specific and riveting world around his characters, expertly revealing the unexpected connections among them. . . . This novel, full of humanity and hope, ultimately leaves you uplifted. Constellation deserves to be on the short list for every major award. It’s an absolute masterpiece.”—Sarah Jessica Parker for Entertainment Weekly

“Marra is not looking to explain the inexplicable. He’s not laying out politics, his book does not run on fear or horror. He is, in capturing the experiences that form lives, telling what feels like a very real story set in Chechnya.”—Denver Post

“Marra is trying to capture some essence of the lives of men and women caught in the pincers of a brutal, decade-long war, and at this he succeeds beautifully. . . . His storytelling impulses are fed by wellsprings of generosity. . . . [The] ending is almost certain to leave you choked up and, briefly at least, transformed by tenderness.”—Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal

“Excellent . . . [A] grave, complex, elegant exploration of how war and occupation warp the human psyche.”—New York magazine Expand reviews