Exquisitely written. The author plays with time in the characters' lives in a way that captivates and recaptivates the reader's interest throughout the entirety of the book. The character development is excellent and unbiased as different perspectives and moments in time are used to unveil who they are. Literary praise aside, the story is intriguing and goes deep into the "absurdities", as the author puts it, that surround the war in Chechnya and life afterward, showing an incredibly interesting, yet devastating display of human desperation… I could go on, but just read this book! Finally I will say that the title of the book is perfect for the way it's written and the stories it tells.

Gorgeous and magical. It rips your heart out while making you believe in humanity just as much as you lose faith. Never have I found a book that so articulates the dichotomy of joy and sorrow and the bitter sweet moments of both.

The ending was a tearjerker but nevertheless in its entirety it was absolutely beautiful.

oh boy did this book tug me here and there all the time. i relate, so much, to all the characters here; fleshed out so good their heartbreak and joys and anger all felt like i could hold them in me. natasha is just so. i am just. i don't know. i'm just gonna weep here and sob

This book really got me in the end. The story is told alternating present and past events, with the present story starting and ending in four days, and the past events going as far back as the second world war but focusing mainly in the wars in Chechnya, after the end of the URSS. At first this structure really didn't sit with me; the quick four days in the present (wich in the book is 2004) didn't seem as significant as the memories of the characters. I didn't care enough for what was going on in the present and the recollections of the people were the most interesting part, but they weren't moving in any direction. The events were related but didn't feel connected. And then, oh boy, then the little things started connecting. The smallest, most insignificant details, the most random events; they started connecting the characters and soon enough the lives of all of them were this beautiful tangle of tragedy, hardship, happiness, kindness. It was truly beautiful to read. All of the characters were so well written and complex, and they were so painfully human and flawed and terrible and good. All of the events of their lives we were told about, they were significant enough separately, but when connected they gained so much weight. The human connenctions made this book really great for me.

Ahh. So sad. I burst out crying at the end and scared my wife.