Zlata’s diary begins as any other eleven-year-olds diary would:  talk of vacations, friends, school, teachers, MTV, pizza, Michael Jackson, and sleeping in on the weekends.  The first entry in fifth grade begins, “Behind me – a long, hot summer and the happy days of summer holidays; ahead of me – a new school year.”

It is just a short month and a half into her journal that the war enters her life:

There’s a real war going on in Dubrovnik.  It’s being badly shelled.  People are in shelters, they have no water, no electricity, the phone’s aren’t working.  We see horrible pictures on TV.  Mommy and Daddy are worried.  Is it possible that such a beautiful town is being destroyed?

Little does Zlata know but those words echo a prophecy that will soon come true in her own life.  It isn’t long before the war moves to Sarejevo.  She slowly watches the life that she knew crumble all around her.  She readily admits that she doesn’t understand the politics of the war nor why people have to be so cruel as to kill each other.

Zlata’s story is one that is difficult to summarize.  I’ve decided that I will randomly pick some passages from the book in a chronological order from beginning to near end.  No rhyme or reason to the passages picked.  Just opened the page and see where it took me.

I’m watching the American Top 20 on MTV.  I don’t remember a thing, who’s in what place.

I feel great because I’ve just eaten a “Four Seasons” Pizza with ham, cheese, ketchup and mushrooms.  It was yummy.  Daddy brought it for me at Galija’s (the pizzeria around the corner).  Maybe that’s why I didn’t remember who took what place – I was too busy enjoying my pizza.

I’m not going to school.  All the schools in Sarajevo are closed.  There’s danger hiding in these hills above Sarajevo.  But I think things are slowly calming down.  The heavy shelling and explosions have stopped. There’s occasional gunfire, but it quickly falls silent.  Mommy and Daddy aren’t going to work.  They’re buying food in huge quantities.  Just in case, I guess.  God forbid!

Two shells exploded in the street and one in the market.  Mommy was nearby at the time . . .  Daddy and I were besides ourselves because she hand’t come home  . . . We kept going to the window hoping to see Mommy, but she wasn’t back.  They released a list of the dead and wounded.  Daddy and I were tearing our hair out.  We didn’t know what had happened to her.  Was she alive? . . . I looked out the window one more time and  . . . I SAW MOMMY RUNNING ACROSS THE BRIDGE.  As she came into the house she started shaking and crying.  Through her tears she told us how she had seen dismembered bodies . . . Thank God, Mommy is with us.  Thank God.  A HORRIBLE DAY.  UNFORGETTABLE.  HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE!

I have another sad piece of news for you.  A boy from my drama club got KILLED!  A shell fell in fron the community center and a horrible piece of shrapnel killed him.

Today is Alma’s birthday . .  .  We had a super time, but . . . .I looked out the window and saw a flash. . . BOOM!!  Shattered glass, falling plaster . . . The birthday party wasn’t bad, but it would have been better if that shell hadn’t spoiled it.

. . . we are living in fear, we are suffering, we are not enjoying the sun and flowers, we are not enjoying our childhood.  WE ARE CRYING.

Well, I don’t want to write out the whole book for you but suffice it to say that this is a book that I will long remember.  And it’s one that I was constantly questioning what I was doing in my safe, sheltered life while Zlata was living a nightmare.  A nightmare of constant fear, hunger, coldness, hiding, and where getting water is a life or death feat.  I believe that I’m only a year older than Zlata so seeing the dates really put a perspective on the book.  She was even a huge New Kids on the Block fan!  Despite our shared commonality because Zlata lived in another part of the world her childhood was war torn while mine was much different.

Books like this are always worth reading.  Now I’m off to find out where she is now . . .

Genre:  Young Adult, Non-Fiction/Diary
Publisher:  Scholastic.  January 1994
Paperback, 200 pages.  ISBN:  0590487922
Zlata’s Diary, A Child’s Life in Sarajevo is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

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