Ganieva's writing has a kind of magic -- Lauren Smart Dallas Observer " Never before has Russian literature produced such an honest & complete picture of today's Caucasus"-- Kommersant Weekend (Russia) One of the Dallas Observer's "10 Books To Read This Fall" World Literature Today Editor's Pick This remarkable debut novel by a unique young Russian voice portrays the influence of political intolerance & religious violence in the lives of people forced to choose between evils The Mountain & the Wall focuses on Shamil a young local reporter in Makhachkala & his reactions or lack thereof to rumors that the Russian government is building a wall to cut off the Muslim provinces of the Caucasus from the rest of Russia As unrest spreads & the tension builds Shamil's life is turned upside down & he can no longer afford to ignore the violence surrounding him With a fine sense for mounting catastrophe Alisa Ganieva tells the story of the decline of a society torn apart by its inherent extremes