A new novel from International Booker Prize winner David Grossman. The story of women whose destinies could have turned out differently. Faith. Nina. Gili. Three generations of women who are connected by a common pain. They gather together for the first time in many years to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of Vera. Her granddaughter Gili decides to make a film about her grandmother, and the family goes to Croatia, to the former prison island of Goli Otok. It is there for the first time that Vera tells the whole story of her life. Many years ago, she made a difficult choice, which was followed by imprisonment. Vera knew what she was doing, just as she knew that her six-year-old daughter Nina would be left alone. Why did she do this? Is there an excuse for this? And, finally, how did this choice change the life of the whole family? “Grossman is not only a global superstar, but and one of the truly outstanding writers of our time." – Galina Juzefovic “This book is based on the story of a Croatian woman. She told it to me, and this story amazed me so much that it took me three years to write the book.” – David Grossman in an interview for Lenta.ru “Grossman is a great mechanic of the soul.” – Haaretz “David Grossman has done a stunning study of how one tragedy affects subsequent generations.” – Kristine Huntley, Booklist