“Edelweisses” — Reading and Presentation of Iva Pezuashvili’s New Book

On October 12 at 19:00, at Ezo (16 Geronti Kikodze St.), a reading and presentation of Iva Pezuashvili’s new book will take place.

Excerpts from the book will be read by actors Giga Datiashvili, Mariam Ghvinianidze, and Irakli Kvirikadze.
The editor Masho Samadashvili will speak about the book.
Duration: 1 hour.

Iva Pezuashvili’s new novel “Edelweisses” is a love letter — addressed to literature, to the homeland, and to a beloved woman.

Through the perspective of a young writer, the author reflects on the complex political and social processes of the modern world.

The unnamed protagonist travels across Europe. His books are translated and published in different languages — his career seems successful, yet in his personal life he struggles with alcoholism and cannot escape the fate of his country. Searching for meaning, he endlessly moves from one city to another, only to find more questions instead of answers:
What should a writer of our time be like?
Is leaving the country merely departure, or is it escape?
And if you run away — can you ever return to those you’ve hurt?
And most importantly:
Can one grow tired of loving their homeland?

Excerpt from the book:
“And if it’s a fever, why can’t you open the door, lie beside me on the couch, and let ‘O Tannenbaum’ play softly from somewhere? Shouldn’t there be at least one Christmas that’s truly magical? What kind of justice is it that a man doesn’t get as many chances as he needs, and one who’s failed twice, thrice, or even four times no longer has the face or strength to turn back? What I have — it’s an illness. A sickness. And if it’s incurable, then hope should last as long as the time it takes to lose and regain it…

Something glows outside the window. What is it? How beautiful… There it is again. I get up, go to the window. A car decorated with glowing garlands. Just an ordinary sedan, but how beautiful it looks in the darkness of Christmas night. There are stickers from the Iowa Congregational Church — yes, that’s it. A lighted screen sits on the roof, and on it are the words:
Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”