Broken April

Broken April is the story about the Code that exists on the high Albanian plains. The premise of the Code is this. If someone murders one of your family members, you must murder them. Then when you murder someone else's family member, they must murder you. You can see how this cycle would lead to a lot of bloodshed. Those in the murder game wear black armbands. On top of this, there are more complex social and moral rules associated with the murder. The Code is called "Bessa"

The novel takes two paths. The first path is a young couple honeymooning on the Albanian plains. The husband is a social scientist, and for some reason thought that a way to celebrate his marriage would be to visit the murderous back country. The second is the story about a young man, who is caught up in the murder cycle, and now has to wear the black armband. He is traveling across the country to pay the tax for the murder that he commits at the beginning of the novel. 

The two paths cross here and there, and although they never speak, there is a connection between the young bride and Albanian. The story is very deep and complex as both the young bride and Albanian struggle with the moral issues associated with the Code, one as an outsider, and another as part of the machine. 

Reading this book, it wasn't terribly engaging since it moved slowly, the Code was so bizarre, and none of the characters interacted with each other. But after having taken a break from it, I think that the true value of this book is that which is unwritten (sort of like the Bessa itself?). The author leaves a lot of what the characters are thinking up to the readers imagination and provides merely the context for trying to understand this twisted old society. 

In summary, this book is not going to be anywhere near "thrill a minute", but at the same time, it is thought provoking and well written, and I can see why it made the list. 

In related news, I listened to a really interesting story on NPR this afternoon about how Albanians (who according to the story are primarily Muslim) sheltered German Jews during WWII. Not to make a political statement or anything like that, but because Bessa dictates that when visitors show up to your doorstep, you treat them as if they were your own family. This is how many of the Jews that made their way to the Albanian countryside survived during WWII, by donning the clothes of their hosts, and taking on Albanian names.