A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

Marra opens the novel with an epigraph from Leo Tolstoy’s Hadji Murád: “It was of this death that I was reminded by the crushed thistle in the midst of the plowed field.” Why do you think Marra chose this epigraph? What does it mean in the context of the novel?

The novel’s title comes from a dictionary definition of “life” circled by Natasha: “Life: a constellation of vital phenomena—organization, irritability, movement, growth, reproduction, adaptation” (184). Why do you think this title was chosen for the novel? How does this definition apply to the novel’s characters?

Havaa carries a suitcase full of souvenirs, gifts from the refugees who stayed at her father’s house that often provide insight into the private lives of these individuals. What role do objects play in the novel? What are some of the most significant objects or souvenirs, and what do they reveal about the people who once owned them?

This novel uses an omniscient third-person point of view, meaning the narrative follows several major and minor characters. Analyze the unique way the omniscient third person is used in this novel. Why do you think Marra chose this point of view?

Even though war has broken out between the Russian Federalist soldiers and the rebels, many of the novel’s major characters avoid aligning with either side. What does this novel reveal about the effect of war on common people who are not actively involved in the fighting?

Many characters witness violence or experience loss or trauma throughout the novel, causing them to experience PTSD to varying degrees. How does the trauma experienced by various characters explain their choices later in life?

Akhmed says that he was inspired to draw portraits of missing villagers after hearing about Natasha’s drawings of Volchansk on the hospital walls. What are some of the surprising or unusual ways characters are connected throughout this novel?

What do you think Akhmed is thinking on the night he is captured? What do the choices he makes that night reveal about his character?