First published 2013
Grusha, a servant girl, finds an infant abandoned by his aristocratic mother during a violent civil war. She takes the child and flees, sacrificing her safety, her possessions, and her future to protect him. When peace returns, the biological mother reappears and demands her son back. The two women face each other in court, each claiming the right to raise the boy. The eccentric judge devises an ancient test to determine the true mother. He draws a chalk circle on the ground and places the child inside. Each woman must pull the boy toward her. The one who succeeds in dragging him from the circle wins custody. But Grusha cannot bear to hurt the child by pulling too hard. Her restraint reveals the depth of her love and forces the judge to decide between biological connection and genuine maternal devotion.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Caucasus
Period: 20th-century
128 pages · Kindle Edition · Methuen Publishing
Content warnings: violence