Country of Red Azaleas

US: Grand Central Publishing, 2016. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. A riveting novel about two women-one Serbian, one Bosnian-whose deep friend ship spans decades and continents, war and peace, love and estrangement, in the vein of Elena Ferrante and Julia Alvarez. From the moment Marija walks into Lara's classroom, freshly moved to Serbia from Sarajevo, Lara is enchanted by her vibrant beauty, confidence, and wi ld energy-and knows that the two are destined to be lifelong friends. Close r than sisters, the girls share everything, from stolen fruit and Hollywood movies as girls to philosophies and even lovers as young women. But when t he Bosnian War pits their homelands against each other in a bloodbath, Lara and Marija are forced to separate for the first time: romantic Lara heads to America with her Hollywood-handsome new husband, and fierce Marija retur ns to her native Sarajevo to combat the war through journalism behind Bosni an lines. In America, Lara seeks fulfillment through work and family, but when news f rom Marija ceases, the uncertainty torments Lara, driving her on a quest to find her friend. As Lara travels through war-torn Serbia and Bosnia, follo wing clues that may yet lead to the flesh-and-blood Marija, she must also w restle with truths about her own identity. Told in lush, vivid prose, COUNTRY OF RED AZALEAS is a poignant testament to both the power of friendship and our ability to find meaning and beauty in the face of devastation.