Institut Ramon LLull

Near the ruins of the Chernobyl power plant, a Russian soldier haunted by his dreams shoots a wild Przewalski’s horse —one of the last of its kind in the world— wounding it in the thigh. Limping and alone, separated from its herd, the horse manages to flee.

Elena and Sergei work in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, studying the wildlife that continues to survive under the shadow of radiation. When they find the injured horse, they’re able to save it. However, contact with humans may alter the animal’s nature permanently, drawing it away from its wild instincts. And perhaps those who encounter it —whether in dreams, in body or in spirit— will be forever changed as well.

A singular novel exploring the deep connections between humans and animals, following one horse’s extraordinary journey across Ukraine, Belarus and Poland.