How does one go about daily life in a city under constant missile and sniper barrage? This gem of a novel follows the arc of four lives during 22 days in May and June 1992: the cellist, the sniper, the water carrier and the baker. Through their eyes we come to understand the cost of modern war in a city that seems familiar. Sarajevo is an hour’s plane ride from Italy – closer by plane than Seattle is to Spokane.
The cellist uses music to mourn the random, senseless loss of 22 people, killed by shells while waiting to buy bread. The sniper, faced with the dilemma of killing for peace, must in the end face the implications of those killings. The water carrier and baker confront death in the simple acts of crossing streets and choosing to help neighbors and acquaintances.
Contained in this short work is a world committed to life. The heroics appear small insignificant choices but they mean the difference between dull acquiescence to circumstance or active living in an impossible situation. Here are some clues for living for all of us in an increasingly difficult world. ~Gretchen Echols