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Published Oct 2014
336 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
In Paolo Giordano's highly awaited new novel, a platoon of young men and one woman soldier leaves Italy for one of the most dangerous places on earth. Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the Gulistan district of Afghanistan is nothing but an exposed sandpit scorched by inescapable sunlight and deadly mortar fire.
Each member in the platoon manages the toxic mix of boredom and fear that is life at the FOB in his own way. Brash Cederna shamelessly picks on the virgin Ietri. Giulia Zampieri seemingly navigates this male-dominated world with ease - until two male comrades start vying for her attention. And for medical officer Alessandro Egitto, the FOB serves as an escape from a real life even more dangerous than one fought with guns. At night, lying on their beds, they feel the beat of their own hearts, the ceaseless activity of the human body. But when a much-debated mission goes devastatingly awry, the soldiers find their lives changed in an instant.
A heartrending, redemptive story about brotherhood and family, modern war and the wars we wage with ourselves, Paolo Giordano's visceral novel reminds us what it is to be human.
"Starred Review. Giordano follows The Solitude of Prime Numbers with a stunning exploration of war." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. Despite the tragic events, this is a very entertaining novel, with the characters' innate and passionate sense of the absurdity of their situation, and of life itself, evident in every scene." - Library Journal
This information about The Human Body was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Paolo Giordano is the author of the critically acclaimed Like Family and The Human Body, and the international bestseller The Solitude of Prime Numbers, which has been translated into more than forty languages, as well as his new publication, How Contagion Works. Giordano has a PhD in particle physics and is now a full-time writer. He lives in Italy.
Name Pronunciation
Paolo Giordano: approximately pow-lo jaw-darno
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