chechnia (russia)

When eight-year-old Havaa's father is abducted for supposedly aiding Chechen rebels, she is taken in by her neighbor, Akhmed. Seeking refuge in an abandoned hospital, the pair encounters a doctor, Sonja, and together they discover the ties that bind them together and will decide their fate.

Presents the author's memoir recounting his experiences as a surgeon in Russia at the height of the Civil War. He treated civilians, Russian soldiers, and Chechen rebels and thus was branded a traitor and nearly killed several times.

Examines relations between Russia and Chechnya over the last 150 years and explores how each country was impacted by the fall of the Soviet Union and the role Western states have played in their development.