black-butterflies-the-exquisitely-crafted-debut-novel-that-captures-life-inside-the-siege-of-sarajevoSynopsis: “Sarajevo, spring 1992. Each night, nationalist gangs erect barricades, splitting the diverse city into ethnic enclaves; each morning, the residents – whether Muslim, Croat or Serb – push the makeshift barriers aside.

When violence finally spills over, Zora, an artist and teacher, sends her husband and elderly mother to safety with her daughter in England. Reluctant to believe that hostilities will last more than a handful of weeks, she stays behind while the city falls under siege. As the assault deepens and everything they love is laid to waste, black ashes floating over the rooftops, Zora and her friends are forced to rebuild themselves, over and over. Theirs is a breathtaking story of disintegration, resilience and hope.“

My Review

This was such a heartbreaking book, but one I could not put down, and put off everything to read. It’s definitely one of my favourite books this year.

The story is told from Zora’s point of view, she’s an artist and teacher, who sends her husband and elderly mother away from Sarajevo in the hope she’ll join them soon. As soon as they’re gone Zora gets so absorbed into one particular painting that she almost forgets what’s happening outside her studio. It’s only when she travels between there and her home that she remembers what’s going on in Sarajevo.

The descriptions of how the city changed were quite scary, as it was a very gradual thing. After strange occurrences that confused and annoyed residents, the real hostilities began. The phone lines are cut, then the power and water and finally the shooting and bombing started.

This really was a heartbreaking read, but written in such a way that compelled me to keep reading. It gave me a a book hangover because of the beautiful writing, and the events are so current when you think about what’s going on in the world today. Although it’s fiction it is based on the author’s Uncle’s experiences and other residents who were caught up in the conflict back in the 1990s.

Highly recommended if you enjoy novels based on true accounts.