Book cover of Girl at War

Book description

LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEYS WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2016

Growing up in Zagreb in the summer of 1991, 10-year-old Ana Juric is a carefree tomboy; she runs the streets with her best friend, Luka, helps take care of her baby sister, Rahela, and idolizes her father. But when civil war…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Girl at War as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Set in former Yugoslavia, this powerful novel follows a girl whose only chance of survival is to escape war and rebuild a life elsewhere.

I found the way the author tells this story beautiful, even though the story is tragic, and describes the complexities of civil strife as well as their impact on ordinary people living in a country that is now split into Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia.

“Fiction does give you a capacity for empathy,” says the author. It should–and I found that this one does.

An impossible-to-put-down important read about the Serbian-Croatian war and its impact on children, specifically one, the narrator, Ana.

Ana's story is full of love and strength, sorrow and loneliness. She is a true heroine who survives what most would think unsurvivable and eventually leaves her country of birth and the only world she has ever known to land in America.

During this timeframe, 1991-1995, I wasn't paying attention, preoccupied with my own war: living in Israel, First Gulf War, and the false promise of peace that followed. Thank you, Sara Novic, for waking me up and reminding me of our…

If you love Girl at War...

Ad

Book cover of The High House

The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

Want books like Girl at War?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 40 books like Girl at War.

Browse books like Girl at War

Book cover of The Kite Runner
Book cover of A Long Petal of the Sea
Book cover of Gravel Heart

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,210

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like Girl at War, you might also like...

Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

5 book lists we think you will like!