The lack of light

The great new novel by the award-winning author Nino Haratischwili

The last century is drawing to a close, and in Georgia, the voices demanding a break from the once all-powerful giant are growing louder. During this time, four different girls - Dina, Ira, Nene, and Qeto - grow up in Tbilisi. They experience first love, the violence and scarcity that erupt with the country's independence, and the division of a young democracy in turmoil that drives a wedge between their families. Despite everything, their friendship seems unbreakable until an unforgivable betrayal and a tragic death ultimately tear them apart. It is not until an exhibition in Brussels in 2019 that the friends are brought back together, and forgiveness seems possible.

"The Lack of Light" is the story of a lost country and a lost generation, a revolution that devours its children, the tale of a friendship that defies death, of phantom pain, of a struggle with oneself and the world, of wrestling with fate. And it is a tribute to Georgia, to the city of Tbilisi and its people, a love letter that transcends time.