All Lara's Wars

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In this gripping narrative, the tumultuous events of the last fifty years, including the post-Soviet realignment in Eastern Europe and the rise of ISIS in the Middle East, unfold through the lens of a Chechen-Georgian family. Lara, the mother, embarks on a perilous journey to Syria, not to join her radicalized sons—one a high-ranking commander and the other a respected soldier in ISIS—but to bring them home. The story captures a world that mirrors a primitive, violent landscape where struggles are life-and-death, and an epic battle between good and evil plays out in mythic proportions. Lara, a Kist who settled in the tranquil Pankisi Gorge, married a Chechen and became a mother of two. As war engulfed Chechnya, she sought refuge in Georgia, later sending her sons to Western Europe to shield them from radical influences. Wojciech Jagielski masterfully reveals how modern warfare obliterates individual lives amidst broader narratives, while also illuminating the humanity and resilience of those affected. Through Lara's experiences, the account provides insights into the Chechen and Syrian wars from the perspective of ISIS recruits, ultimately portraying the tragic reality of a family caught in a larger catastrophe that has claimed countless victims.