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Zlata's Diary
Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo | Zlata Filipovic
21 posts | 28 read | 5 to read
A chronicle of the war in Sarajevo from a child's perspective details the author's struggle for survival and a normal life in a chaotic nation from 1991 through 1993, revealing how an innocent life of piano lessons and birthday parties was transformed into horrifying days of food shortages, friends dying, and hiding out in a neighbor's cellar during bombings. Reissue.
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Texreader
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Pickpick

Reading an 11-year-old‘s diary when she‘s a happy child and then suffering the fates of the Bosnian War is tragic and sad. Pages of the diary were published during the war in 1991-93 when she lived in Sarajevo, and she knew she was being compared to Anne Frank. Her writing is exemplary for her age but she never understood why there was a war and why peace wasn‘t coming. She was both hopeful and sometimes suicidal as friends were killed and ⬇️

Texreader families, friends, and neighbors were displaced. From the introduction we learn her family eventually escapes to Paris and from Wikipedia we learn she went to Oxford and now champions the cause of children suffering through war. Of course an inspiration. Reading about war from a child‘s perspective is eye-opening to say the least. I am glad she left us this legacy. #letterZ #litsyatoz 9mo
Librarybelle I read this when it first came out - she is roughly my age, so it was very moving to read about a war in my lifetime by someone my age living through it. 9mo
Texreader @Librarybelle What an experience for a preteen to have read this book while the war was going on. I can tell you I don‘t think I even knew about the war in the 1990s. I was a newlywed and working two jobs. Life was difficult then so the news took the back burner. 9mo
Librarybelle @Texreader Would you believe I think I picked this up at a Scholastic Book Fair? I will say I don‘t have too many clear memories about that war, other than it was on the nightly news that my parents watched. But, her experience living in an active war zone was so striking and helped connect the odd snatches of info I‘d hear on the TV. 9mo
56 likes4 comments
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Texreader
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This post is for all my #litsylove friends and others I‘ve corresponded with. Zlata has her first pen pal! Isn‘t it wonderful? In the midst of war, the value of a letter. ❤️ @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheBookHippie

TheBookHippie I love our penpal group ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ I lived in Harrisburg as a child! 9mo
Texreader @TheBookHippie Me too! And nice little coincidence 9mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love it ❤️❤️ 9mo
36 likes3 comments
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Texreader
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This once middle class family moved a wood stove found in the attic into the kitchen because electricity is out more often than it is on. And this is how they are spending the winter. #letterZ #litsyatoz

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Texreader
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Mimmy is the name of Zlata‘s diary. Cici is her cat. So good that the cat can give an 11-year-old girl peace during war.

#letterZ #Litsyatoz

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Texreader
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It‘s reading time with my baby.

merelybookish The best! 9mo
Librarybelle ❤️❤️❤️ 9mo
dabbe 🖤🤩🐾🤩🖤🐾 9mo
Leftcoastzen Yay!😸 9mo
72 likes4 comments
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Texreader
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I‘ve picked this book as my next read. These are the end papers. For #letterZ #litsyatoz

IndoorDame 🤩🤩🤩 9mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 😍 9mo
TheBookgeekFrau Those are Gorgeous😍😍 9mo
TheBookHippie My daughter‘s favorite book in high school or maybe college ? 😝 (edited) 9mo
61 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Texreader
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Books from Goodwill. Hardback is $2.99, the rest were $1.99. I won‘t tell you how much I spent at Half Price Books. Photos of those books are to come.

Gissy Lucky girl! 📚🙌❤️ 11mo
TheSpineView Great haul! 11mo
61 likes2 comments
review
Sarahreadstoomuch
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Pickpick

Chilling and sad perspective from a child living while surrounded by war. It‘s definitely a tween‘s voice, and I wouldn‘t be surprised if some of the phrases written didn‘t start from her parents (or other adults‘) mouth…. But it is a good reminder of the effects of war on the very innocent.

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ChrysFey
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This is what I am reading now. So powerful. Definitely a must-read. I recommend it to everyone. It‘s a great read to follow The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

#listy #littens #bookrec #recommendation

BethM I read this as a kid! 5y
53 likes1 comment
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erzascarletbookgasm
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Mehso-so

This is the diary entries of a 11-year-old girl living in Sarajevo during the war. From a carefree school girl who begins her diary in a cheerful note, she bears witness to the hardships of war. She records her thoughts of the war, & how it affects her family. It‘s always sad to read of such accounts but this was just meh for me. I felt there‘s no depth in her recordings of what happened. Perhaps it‘s also the translation.🤷‍♀️ #litsyclassics

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erzascarletbookgasm
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#winterwonderland #seasonsreadings

These are my #tbr stack for #december . I‘ll have to read all these to complete my reading challenges this year. Last lap, 🏃‍♀️💪🤞

Cinfhen You can do it!!!! 6y
TrishB You go 👍🏻 happy reading 💕 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 6y
75 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Lcsmcat
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13 books finished in July. (The tagged book not pictured.) #readingresilutions #julystats @Jess7

Reviewsbylola I read Educated this month too! 6y
Lcsmcat @Reviewsbylola And did you like it? 6y
Reviewsbylola Loved it! I was a bit nervous because of some reviews but I thought it was excellent. And horrifying. 6y
Lcsmcat @Reviewsbylola Me too. And there were so many things that reminded me of people I knew of in Utah. 6y
59 likes4 comments
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Lcsmcat
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1. Last week‘s view; 😀
2. The tagged book;
3. The Mr. Rogers movie;
4. 😀😂❤️;
5. Will do!
#friyayintro @jesshowbooks

Yeah_I_Read ❤️❤️ 6y
41 likes1 comment
review
Lcsmcat
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Pickpick

Mr. Rogers famously said that when bad things happen, look for the helpers. Zlata bears witness to this, as “even the birds shared their food.” One can‘t review an 11 year old for writing style, but it‘s important to read first hand accounts like this. If you‘re interested in the Sarajevo siege, also check out The Cellist of Sarajevo. #passportlitsy #BosniaHertzogovinia

Cathythoughts Must check out this book & also looking forward to Cellist of Sarajevo. I remember an old aunt of mine saying ... we were hoping a crow would drop a crumb down.... another bird & people starving reference .. ❤️ 6y
50 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Lcsmcat
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Ice on my bum knee, cat in my lap, and a new book to start. Perfect evening. #catsoflitsy #litsypassport

kspenmoll Sounds wonderful except that bum knee! 6y
Suzze Hope your knee improves! My knees always hurt, but you‘re right, a cat and a Book always help! 6y
Lcsmcat @kspenmoll @Suzze It‘s bothered me off and on since I did something stupid as a teenager some 40 years ago, so it‘ll be ok soon. 6y
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Literary_Siren Hope your knee gets better soon! I read this book in elementary school. I might have to reread it to refresh my memory. 6y
CouronneDhiver Oh, the bum knee club. Yep. I hear ya! 6y
Lcsmcat @Literary_Siren Thanks! I‘m so much older than you that I was watching the news of this war while nursing my first child. I wonder what difference that makes in the way I read it. 6y
Lcsmcat @CouronneDhiver It‘s a large club. 😀 6y
Literary_Siren You‘ll have to let us know! 6y
56 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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Kerrbearlib
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“...we‘re learning to steel ourselves, this war is teaching us, and we‘re slowly suppressing everything that hurts us.”

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shadowspeak17
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Lcsmcat
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I came home to this #BookHaul! Most are for #PassportLitsy, but Lilac Girls is for my book club. Now I just have to get the stickers off.

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readinginthedark
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Pickpick

I had trouble getting into this book initially because I'd heard how amazing it was...and then it wasn't. Don't get me wrong--I'm just saying the writing is nothing amazing. Because it's a diary written by a little girl. Once I set it aside for a couple of weeks and got over myself, this was a good read. The transition from Zlata's daily life to wartime in Sarajevo was hard, and this book has encouraged me to read more about that war. #LitsyAtoZ

CAGirlReading I loved this but I read it in the 3rd grade so I can imagine reading it as an adult would be a different experience😄 8y
lynneamch 💔 8y
readinginthedark @CAGirlReading Absolutely! I don't usually say this, but I wish I had read it when I was younger. 8y
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readinginthedark
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It's hard to read about war while my son's watching Powerpuff Girls, so I stopped trying and baked some brownie cookies! 😊🍪

Josie I ❤️ the Power Puff Girls 8y
queerbookreader Wtf are brownie cookies and how can I get them in my body ASAP 8y
MaleficentBookDragon They look yummo! 8y
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MaleficentBookDragon Recipe please!!!!! 8y
Texreader Mmm. So smart 8y
BethM 1. I loved this book as a kid. 2. Those look awesome! 8y
josie281 Powderpuff Girls are quite fun! 8y
readinginthedark @Josie @josie281 I know, it's such a fun, crazy show! 8y
readinginthedark @BethM It was slow going for me at first, but now I'm invested! And thanks! 8y
readinginthedark @lemonlime799 @MaleficentTheBookDragon @Texreader Tastes like a brownie, more portable like a cookie! I'll try to post the recipe for you tomorrow! 😊 8y
68 likes1 stack add10 comments
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readinginthedark
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I've been planning to read this for a while and still haven't gotten to it. I've heard it compared to The Diary of Anne Frank for obvious reasons, but it's set in a more recent time, and I don't know much about Bosnia. Have any of you read this one? #setineasterneurope #photoadaynov16