Disappearing Earth

Synopsis: On a lovely August afternoon in the Kamchatka province of Russia, two young sisters are abducted. The novel proceeds, month by month, exploring the ways this event impacts a variety of characters, all connected by this horrific crime. Each chapter, occupying one month after the event, is told from the perspective of different characters. While each story is unique, they are interlinking in ways that sometimes the narrators don’t even appreciate. Through different perspectives, we see how the disappearance of the girls affects many different people, and how that changes over time.

Review: This was a 5 star winner for me. Not just a literary thriller, but a thoughtful meditation on culture, race, sexuality and small town politics. The tension between the native people of the region and the ethnic Russians was familiar. The correct response to the ending of this novel is a gut wrenching expletive. I wish I had kept a little journal of characters, as they do all ultimately sort of fit together. This is a novel brimming with stories of women who are trying to figure out how they fit in the world. The slow progression, month by month, revealed how the crime was slowly receding from public memory, but never far from those it hurt the most.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: Penne alla Vodka is not a Russian food, but vodka is Russian, so, sort of. I thought of this since this story resurrected a memory for me of playing Risk with medical school classmates. We used to joke about Kamchatka, as that was a province on the board, with no meaning to us other than that it was also the name of a cheap brand of vodka. So there is a weak link here!

Roasted Tomato Penne alla Vodka

3 pounds plum tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

4 cloves minced garlic

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup vodka

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 cup mascarpone

Generous handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

1 lb penne

1 cup diced fresh mozzarella

1 cup parmigiana-reggiano

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Halve the tomatoes and arrange on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.

Toast 1 hour and 15 minutes, let cool.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot, add garlic and onions, season with S&P. Cook until soft but not caramelized, 12=15 minutes. Add the vodka, reduce by half. Add the chicken stock and roasted tomatoes. Heat, stir in the mascarpone, then puree until smooth using an immersion blender.. Add the basil.

Toss cooked pasta with sauce, top with mozzarella and parmesan, bake for 45 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered.

Rest for 10 minutes, then serve.