Givingvoicetopeoplelivingontheperipheryinpost-communistBulgaria,FourMinutescentersaroundLeah,anorphanwhosuffereddailyhorrorsgrowingup,andnowstrugglestointegrateintosocietyasagaywoman.Sheconfrontshertraumabytryingtovolunteerattheorphanage,andtoadoptayounggirl--achoicethatisfrustratedoverandoverbybureaucracyandthepervasivestigmaagainstgaywomen.InadditiontoLeah’snarrative,thenovelcontainsnineotherstandalonecharacterstudiesofotherfrequentlyignoredvoices.Thesesectionsareeachmeanttobereadinapproximatelyfourminutes,anodtoasocialexperimentthatputforththehypothesisthatitonlytakesfourminutesoflookingsomeoneintheeyeandlisteningtotheminordertoacceptandempathizewiththem.Ameticulouslycraftedsocialnovel,FourMinutestakesadifficult,uncompromisinglookatmodernlifeinEasternEurope.
