The Revenge of the Foxes

The Revenge of the Foxes by Ak Welsapar is a poignant story set in a Soviet-era hospital where young patients awaiting heart surgery seek meaning through love, mischief, and deep existential questions about the future.

In The Revenge of the Foxes, Ak Welsapar crafts a moving and darkly humorous narrative set in a Moscow hospital during the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Through the lives of young patients awaiting heart surgery, Welsapar explores love, loss, and the human desire to cling to life amidst uncertainty.

The contrasting characters—a poetic Turkmen, a Stalinist with a mechanical heart, and the ill-fated Mary—represent a clash between the “robotic” future and soulful resilience, embodying the struggles of a generation on the brink of change.

This thought-provoking novel questions the essence of humanity, as youthful dreams and love vie against an impending, sterile future.