GREAT READS

The Cellist of Sarajevo

Steven Galloway.

This book opened my eyes. What was I doing in the early 90's? Thinking about my children, pets, house, job? The people of Sarajevo were under siege for four years. We heard about it on the news every day, but it did not become a reality for me until I read this fictional account of four people trying to survive in a city with constant mortars, sniper attacks, no electricity and no water. The simple act of walking across the city to get water for his children was a risk for one young man. A middle-aged baker risked his life running through intersections on his way to work every day. A cellist witnessed twenty-two people killed by a bomb while waiting in a bread line. And a young female sniper protected the cellist as he played in the street for twenty-two afternoons in memory of those killed, ignoring the risk of being killed by the snipers from the hills. This was a haunting and powerful book about people trying to find meaning in life while in the horrors of war. This book is highly recommended for teens and adults.

Recommended by Mitzi Fields

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