Two foreign nationals are teamed up to pave a ribbon of highway linking the north and south of an unnamed war-torn nation. The highway represents a hope for lasting peace, binding the two halves and ushering the poor nation into a new era. A parade is promised at the end to commemorate the completion of the road, thus the title of the novel. Four and Nine (they go by numbers to avoid sharing personal details that might aid potential kidnappers) are polar opposites-- Four is a no-nonsense company man, while Nine has a curiosity and joie de vivre that threatens their mission. While Four plods on with the paving project, Nine throws out the rulebook and not only compromises their schedule, but nearly dies as a result of his shenanigans. In the end the project is completed, but at what cost? I just thought this book was nearly perfect. It's a parable about human nature, people's intentions, who is good and who is bad, whether we should be bystanders or participants,