In this three part novel we accompany the polyhistorian scholar Rugjer Boskovic (1711-1787), Jesuit mathematician and scientist with an avid interest in astronomy, philosophy of nature and poetry, on his journey together with the British Ambassador across Eastern Europe from Constantinople to St Petersburg. Boskovic will never reach St Petersburg but he encounters various people in remote countries and learns about their yearnings, heroic exploits and failings. Next we are introduced to the Moldavian, Maria Aleksandra. We learn about her childhood dreams and the cruel, bleak world of white slavery to which she falls victim. And finally we read about a Bosnian poet from Travnik, the writer's alter-ego who sheds light on the hidden origins and bonds between the two aforementioned lives, connecting them with his own story and ultimately displaying the chasm, which made Nobel Prize recipient, Ivo Andric, label the east of Europe, "A place of great miracles as well as horrendous terror."

About the author:

Muharem Bazdulj was born in Travnik, Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1977. He studied English literature at the University of Sarajevo. He is one of the leading young writers from former Yugoslavia.

He writes novels, short stories, poetry and non-fiction. His work has been published in several languages and he is the recipient of many awards. In 2008 Seifert Verlag published his novel, "The Non-Believer and Zulejha".