Part coming-of-age story, part sociopolitical panorama, a thrilling debut novel from a promising young author.

Nestled among snow-capped mountains, Zaramestria is a country ravaged by war. With peace declared and weapons laid down, opposing parties are trying to live together again after years of fighting. Two foreigners are lured to the region in midwinter: newcomer Leila Alaman, a French violinist, and war photographer Tim Volker, a veteran of the conflict he covered fifteen years ago. Together, they lend substance to the vestiges of civil war and conflicts that never really end. A story of resilience and emancipation, where humanity and poetry find their way out from beneath the rubble. Alizée Gau’s first novel is moving, free-spirited, and deeply poetic.