A Constellation of Vital Phenomena ~ by Anthony Marra

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena ~ by Anthony Marra, 2013, fiction (Chechnya), 6/10

In a small rural village in Chechnya, eight-year-old Havaa watches from the woods as Russian soldiers abduct her father in the middle of the night and then set fire to her home.  When their lifelong neighbor Akhmed (a failed doctor) finds Havaa hiding in the forest with a strange blue suitcase, he makes a decision that will forever change their lives.  He will seek refuge at the abandoned hospital where the sole remaining doctor, Sonja Rabina, treats the wounded.  For Sonja, the arrival of Akhmed and Havaa is an unwelcome surprise.  Weary and overburdened, she has no desire to take on additional risk and responsibility.  But over the course of five extraordinary days, Sonja’s world will shift on its axis and reveal the intricate pattern of connections that weaves together the pasts of these three unlikely companions and unexpectedly decides their fate.

A blogger gives a recipe for beef manti (dumplings) in her review because it's mentioned in the book.  I want to try those dumplings, which are "a hearty classic of Caucasian cuisine."  That's plain yogurt added in the middle.  Here's the link to the recipe, which also has a video on how to make it.

http://www.paperplatesblog.com/blog/a-constellation-of-vital-phenomena-by-anthony-marra-beef-manti-dumplings