The Lazarus Project

In Aleksandar Hemon's engaging novel, The Lazarus Project, the intertwined stories of Lazarus Averbuch, a young Jewish immigrant shot by a Chicago police chief in 1908, and Brik, a contemporary writer from Eastern Europe, unfold against a backdrop of historical tension and modern challenges. As Brik, accompanied by his friend Rora—a Sarajevo war photographer—investigates the circumstances surrounding Averbuch’s death, they retrace his journey through a landscape marked by both past atrocities and present-day struggles. This blend of haunting history and sharp storytelling showcases Hemon's distinctive voice and deepens our understanding of identity and belonging.