Book cover of S.: A Novel about the Balkans

Book description

"S. may very well be one of the strongest books about war you will ever read. . . The writing is taut, precise, and masterful." -The Philadelphia Enquirer

Set in 1992, during the height of the Bosnian war, S. reveals one of the most horrifying aspects of any war: the…

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Why read it?

1 author picked S. as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This shatteringly raw novel about the Bosnian War relates the story of one woman imprisoned, raped (both physically and emotionally), and left pregnant with the enemy’s child. Like this author, Slavenka Draculić began her inquiry into the war as a journalist, but decided that the story would be best told through fiction. Some of the most unforgettable novels are the ones that are hardest to read. S. demands much of the reader, but gives back a hundredfold with its message of healing and transcendence. 

From Germaine's list on finding peace amid conflict.

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These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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